Boater Charged in Deadly Crash Near Liberty Island

Richard Aquilone is charged with causing the death of a boater near Liberty Island

Flickr/John and Gill

MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — Nearly two years after being accused of drunkenly crashing his 30-foot boat into a Bayliner half it’s size and killing one of its passengers, Richard Aquilone was indicted Thursday on negligent homicide and vehicular manslaughter charges.

Prosecutors said the 42-year-old investment firm manager accidentally killed Jijo Puthuvamkunnath on July 2, 2011 while driving his ProLine vessel, called Reel Impulsive, through New York Harbor with his three young children.

Puthuvamkunnath, 30, was with friends on a boat anchored by Liberty Island when the collision happened.

The physical therapist had been due to get married just three weeks later.

Aquilone, who pleaded guilty to the charges, told police his craft was cut off by a passing sightseeing boat — called a Shark — that was packed with tourists. He said he never saw Puthuvamkunnath's boat.

“After the Shark passed, I powered up again and rode into the wake of the Shark. My bow came up and as soon as I went over the wake, I came down on the boat with three people on board," he told authorities, according to court documents released Thursday.

"I didn't see the other boat before."

Prosecutors have said that a Breathalyzer test taken a few hours after the accident had a .06 reading, which is below the .08 limit but was enough to prove Aquilone had been drinking.

Marc Agnifilo, Aquilone's lawyer, told reporters that his client had a couple glasses of wine hours before the crash, which he said was a pure accident.

"I don't believe he committed a crime," said Agniflio. "The Shark boat does cut him off... He just couldn't see it [Puthuvamkunnath's boat]."

Aquilone also immediately called for help and the coast guard allowed him to drive his boat home, Agniflio said.

He's also charged with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, because his three young children were onboard with him.