Man operating boat in deadly crash with lacrosse player in Anne Arundel County to serve 18 months
BALTIMORE -- The man behind the wheel of a deadly boat crash last year in Anne Arundel County pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday.
Shayne Smith, 21, was sentenced to 10 years in jail, all but 18 months suspended, for negligence manslaughter, along with five years of supervised probation.
Smith won't be able to operate a boat while on probation.
The boat crash took the life of Nick Barton, a lacrosse player at Anne Arundel Community College.
Related: One Killed In Anne Arundel County Boating Accident
According to court documents, Smith was under the influence of drugs and alcohol while operating the boat on the West River on June 4th of last year. Six people were ejected from the boat during the crash. Barton did not survive, and his body was located hours later.
Smith was charged in February with negligent manslaughter, criminally negligent manslaughter, operating a boat under the influence, reckless operation and homicide by vehicle.
WJZ recently spoke with Barton's family and friends at a fundraising event. The grieving community is now advocating for stricter boating regulations and safer waterways in the aftermath of the avoidable tragedy.
"We all just want each other to be safe and make sure something like this never happens again because it was completely avoidable," said Jack McCarthy, a friend of Barton's.
