One patron approached the restaurant's owner, Russell Stern, to introduce himself. His name was Jojo K. John, and he was a friend to Lindsey Stewart and Brian Bond, the young, soon-to-be-wed couple who rented an apartment at the same marina that houses Pier 701.
Mr. John was with two friends, Mr. Stern said, and they ordered five drinks among them and left.
The night would end in one of the most harrowing water crashes that people here can remember: a powerboat driven by Mr. John slammed into a steel barge northeast of the restaurant by the Tappan Zee Bridge, knocking several people aboard unconscious, seriously wounding Mr. Bond, and sending Mr. Bond's best man, Mark Lennon, and Ms. Stewart, both 30, hurtling into the river. Their bodies were recovered over the weekend.
Mr. John was charged with vehicular manslaughter and vehicular assault; the police suspect that alcohol played a role in the accident and are awaiting toxicology reports on his blood.
As the investigation continues, and family members prepare to bury their dead — Ms. Stewart's funeral is scheduled for Thursday and Mr. Lennon's is Friday — community members and people who knew the deceased are searching hard for where, or whether, to assign blame.
On Wednesday, the families of Ms. Stewart and Mr. Lennon said in a statement that Mr. Bond and other survivors reported that those onboard had consumed very little alcohol, and considered themselves sober.
The families also questioned why charges were brought against Mr. John ahead of toxicology results. (The Rockland County sheriff's office said the charges were based on "officer observation.") More pointedly, the families said that no one on the boat had seen the barge, even after it was too late.
The Coast Guard has said the barge was adequately lighted in line with federal law, with two lights at opposing ends, bright enough to be visible at one nautical mile; more lights were added after the crash.
Feelings of shock continue to radiate through the community, starting with owners and workers of the Tappan Zee Marina, where the couple had come to be regarded as near family.
For the past three or so years, Ms. Stewart and Mr. Bond, 35, had rented a 1,500-square-foot ground-floor apartment in the craft-style bungalow by the driveway to the marina, along with their Chihuahua, Jackson. They kept the place tidy and cheerful, nurturing houseplants and stringing patio lanterns across the front porch.
Audrey Maffei Schneider, whose family has owned the marina for 40 years, reserved deep affection for the pair, especially Ms. Stewart. When repairs were done to their apartment, Ms. Stewart sent thank-you notes. When electricity was finally fully restored many weeks after Hurricane Sandy, she sent Ms. Schneider a gift, thanking her for working so hard. Mr. Bond, a schoolteacher, had gone to high school with two of her sons, Ms. Schneider said in an interview on Tuesday, tightening the connection. Ms. Schneider had also never allowed her tenants to have dogs, but when she met Jackson, she melted: he was as friendly as his owners.
Ms. Schneider sometimes inquired whether the couple might leave, especially with the coming wedding, scheduled for Aug. 10. But Ms. Stewart, she said, always assured her they would not.
" 'We love it here,' " Ms. Schneider recalled Ms. Stewart saying. " 'We want to have babies here.' "
"She was the kind of woman that appreciated everything," Ms. Schneider said tearfully. "I used to say I wished she was my daughter."
Ms. Stewart worked as a human resources manager at an insurance company in nearby Nyack, but had also begun work at Pier 701, to make extra money for the wedding. "She was lovely," Mr. Stern, the restaurant's owner, said.
It was not immediately clear how Mr. John, 35, knew the couple, though a friend described him to The Associated Press as Mr. Bond's "other best friend." His LinkedIn profile says he works as a "relationship banker" at JPMorgan Chase; he had previously faced two drug charges, one for possession of marijuana, which resulted in community service and probation.
Sheelagh McNeill contributed reporting.
campaign: regiAt6_global_growl_main_container -- 219227, creative: nyt_nested_growl_container_test -- 330257, page: www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/nyregion/mourning-victims-and-assigning-blame-after-fatal-boat-crash-on-hudson.html, targetedPage: www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/nyregion, position: Bottom8
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Mourning Victims and Assigning Blame After Fatal Boat Crash on the Hudson
Dengan url
https://homepageglobal.blogspot.com/2013/08/mourning-victims-and-assigning-blame.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Mourning Victims and Assigning Blame After Fatal Boat Crash on the Hudson
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Mourning Victims and Assigning Blame After Fatal Boat Crash on the Hudson
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar