Crime & Safety
Man Facing Charges of Homicide by Vessel
Steven Brent Parker, 32, of Cumming, Ga., has been charged in the April 21 boat collision that left one dead and one seriously injured.
A Cumming man has been charged in connection with a fatal April 21 boating accident at Lake Lanier.
Steven Brent Parker, 32, is facing charges of homicide by vessel, boating under the influence, serious injury by vessel and reckless operation of a vessel. Conviction on the two felony counts (homicide by vessel and serious injury by vessel) would carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
According to officials with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Parker was operating a ski boat on Lake Lanier shortly before midnight on April 21 when his boat collided with a pontoon boat occupied by Stephen Blake Jones, 59, of Duluth and Sharon Ezell of Milledgeville. Jones died in the accident and Ezell was seriously injured.
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Parker and his passenger were treated at a local hospital and released.
In a press release, Col. Eddie Henderson, head of the agency’s Law Enforcement Section, said the incident is “another reminder that although boating is a safe and enjoyable activity, it can turn tragic in a split-second if boating safety laws are not followed. We strongly encourage all boaters to designate a sober operator if alcohol will be consumed on the boat."
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The accident remains under investigation by the DNR’s Critical Incident Reconstruction Team.
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