Man believed to have driven boat that struck and killed Florida teen identified – WSOC TV

The boat that struck the teenager did not stop to help, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. FWC impounded the boat on Wednesday. Authorities say Alonso is cooperating with investigators, FWC said.

( Officials: Boat involved in death of Miami teen killed while water skiing )

According to Alonso’s lawyer Lauren Krasnoff, the man is devastated by the incident.

“This is the worst tragedy ever and before we say anything else, we want to express our deepest condolences to Ella Adler’s family and friends,” Krasnoff said.

“As this is an ongoing investigation with which he is cooperating fully, he will not make any statement to the media other than to say he was completely devastated to learn he may have been involved in this terrible tragedy ” she continued.

No charges have been announced in the case. It is not known whether alcohol was a factor, but in a statement shared by Local10.com, Krasnoff said Alonso does not drink.

( Girl waterskiing killed in hit-and-run boating accident )

Investigators told The Post on Tuesday it was unclear whether Alonso knew Adler was there or was hit.

“I am telling you that Bill (the name Alonso), who has been boating for 50 years and is a very experienced boater who knows these waters, was out boating alone on Saturday,” Krasnoff said in the statement.

“He has no knowledge that he was involved in this accident. If he hit Ella that day, he certainly didn’t know it. If Bill thought he had hit anything, he definitely would have stopped. But at no point did he think he had hit anything, let alone a person.

“He docked his boat in plain sight right behind his house,” she said, “and didn’t even know there was an accident on the water that day until officers showed up at his door.”

Krasnoff said the man was a “very experienced boater” who was familiar with the bay. He was alone on the boat Saturday and “had absolutely no knowledge that he was involved in this accident,” she said.

“If he hit Ella that day, he certainly didn’t know it,” she said, adding that he “definitely would have stopped” if he had realized it was happening.

“He docked his boat in plain sight right behind his house and didn’t even know there was an accident on the water that day until officers showed up at his door,” she said.