Harbor Wholesale CEO Justin James Erickson has been charged after a boat collision at Boston Harbor Marina in Thurston County on May 3. The crash left 21-year-old Olympia resident Jack Edwards with life-threatening injuries.
According to court documents, 51-year-old Erickson was operating a 25-foot Cobalt boat with a 300-horsepower engine. Seven people were aboard. Witnesses said the boat was leaving the marina at 35–45 miles per hour, even though the area had a “no-wake” restriction. This requires boats to travel slowly enough that they do not create noticeable waves capable of damaging docks and other boats or inconveniencing people. A fixed speed is usually not specified; the boat operator must choose the lowest safe speed based on the vessel’s size, distance from shore and conditions in the marina.
The Cobalt struck a 10-foot boat carrying five people. Erickson said he was traveling at about 15 miles per hour and that the setting sun obstructed his vision. He said he thought he had hit a log rather than another boat. Witnesses said they warned the people aboard the Cobalt to slow down, but the passengers shouted back and gestured at people on shore.
Before the collision, one of the smaller boat’s engines failed, and a passenger was trying to restart it. When they saw the rapidly approaching boat, three people jumped into the water. After the impact, the boat’s engine was submerged. Witnesses said the Cobalt initially did not stop and returned to the scene about 10 minutes later.
Edwards suffered fractures to his elbow, shoulder blade and femur, deep cuts to his back, and a collapsed lung. He was first taken to St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, which was close enough to provide emergency care and stabilize his condition. He was then transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, a Level I regional trauma center specializing in severe injuries, including complex fractures, head and spinal injuries, and burns. Edwards returned home after about a week and a half. A fundraiser organized for him had raised more than $30,000 by Friday evening.
Erickson has been charged with assault by watercraft and leaving the scene of an accident. Police found no alcohol on the boat, although an odor of alcohol was detected on shore near Erickson and his attorney; its source could not be determined. Erickson declined to take a voluntary sobriety test.
The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office withdrew from the case because of the prosecutor’s personal connections to the defendant. Such a conflict of interest may provide grounds for the prosecutor or the entire prosecuting attorney’s office to be recused. In such cases, a court may appoint a special prosecutor or transfer the case to the prosecuting attorney’s office in another county to ensure an independent prosecution and a fair proceeding. In this case, the matter is being handled by a deputy prosecutor from Pierce County.
The maximum penalty for the first charge is 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000; the second carries a maximum sentence of five years and a fine of up to $10,000. A date for the first court hearing has not yet been set.
Based on: Lacey CEO charged after allegedly crashing 25-foot boat, injuring Olympia man