Owner of boat that struck and killed Ella Riley Adler taken into custody following Biscayne Keys hit and run as authorities seek to locate the driver of the boat that struck and killed teen girl before fleeing the scene.
Florida water authorities on Tuesday announced finding the boat believed to be the one that struck and killed 15 year old teen girl, Ella Riley Adler, who had gone out on Biscayne Bay to waterski, with the boat owner now cooperating with the investigation.
In its release the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials stressed that the boat owner was not the driver who struck and killed the Miami ballerina, before fleeing the scene.
‘I am pleased to report that we have a vessel in custody that matches the description given by witnesses, and the investigation is ongoing,’ FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said in a statement. ‘As a father and grandfather, my heart is broken for the Adler family. Ella’s death is devastating for her family, friends, and the community at large. The FWC and our partner law enforcement agencies will not stop until we have all the answers and the case is solved.’
Florida boater who killed Ella Adler id as tech multimillionaire who had no idea he ran over ballerina
Boat driver plowed into teen after falling into water and fleeing scene
Aerial footage showed the boat docked behind a house in southwest Miami-Dade Tuesday, NBC6 reported.
The fatal incident happened at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at Nixon Beach Sandbar off Key Biscayne.
Officials said Adler was not actively waterskiing but was being towed when she fell into the water. That’s when another boat struck her and fled the scene.
The teen was still wearing her life vest and water skis when the boat plowed over her.
The boat in question was last seen heading westbound from Nixon Beach and was described as a ‘light blue center console with possibly blue or dark blue bottom paint with three or four white out board engines,’ FWC officials said.
Adler, a student at elite tony private school, Ransom Everglades School, died from her injuries.
A member of the school’s dance team, Adler was an accomplished ballet performer and was a ballerina in the Nutcracker, appearing in over 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
Fines and charges boat driver now faces
According to an obituary, Adler was the great-granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. She loved to dance and was a member of the Ransom Everglades Jewish Students Association.
During her funeral Monday, NBC6 spoke with the father of her best friend, who was with Adler when she was struck and killed.
‘A great dancer, my daughter’s best friend, a tremendous loss,’ Loren Pierson said. ‘She had such a bright future, very sad.’
Authorities to date have not publicly identified the name of the individual driving the boat and whether the individual had been found and brought to custody.
Under Florida law, leaving the scene of a boating accident that results in personal injury can result in a third-degree felony, which can land an offender in prison for a maximum of 5 years with a $5,000 fine.
It remained unclear at present what charges the boat driver faced.
