Reinaldo Aquit, Miami Beach, Florida speed boat driver arrested & charged in death of passenger, Stephanie Rodriguez, of Hialeah, who fell out and died during sudden ‘sharp’ turn. Boat operator is alleged to have been driving recklessly.
A speedboat driver in Florida was arrested months after a woman was ejected from his boat and died during what was suppose to be a ‘fun day’ out in the water.
Reinaldo Aquit, 48, of Miami Beach, was arrested on Friday for the death of Stephanie Rodriguez, 28, of Hialeah, who died in November after being ejected from his 39-foot boat after the boat operator making a sharp turn in Key West.
Aquit is alleged to have been ‘operating the boat recklessly’ when he made the sharp turn, causing the boat to roll over, ejecting Rodriguez and five other passengers.
Reckless speed boat driving leads to death of passenger
Rodriguez was the only passenger to die in the incident. The others were collected by a Good Samaritan who stopped to help. They were taken to the hospital.
‘The tragic death of this young woman was completely avoidable,’ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Major Alberto Maza told NBC Miami in a statement.
‘We continue to think of Ms. Rodriguez’s friends and family as they grieve her loss.’
Aquit was booked into the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office jail and was charged with felony vessel homicide, and eight misdemeanors. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.
The court set his arraignment for July 3, WPLG reported.
Hialeah, Florida passenger remembered
Rodriguez was the youngest of four and had three older brothers. Her brothers remember her as being a giving person, who loved to travel and was full of life.
‘She lit up any room she went into,’ her brother, Ricky Rodriguez, told NBC Miami. ‘My sister was special, she was special.’
Her relative Jorge Perez said she often ‘gave me a lot of advice,’ despite being ‘a lot younger than me,’ he told the outlet.
‘We’re just relying on God to get us through this,’ he said in November.
The family started a GoFundMe for her funeral and other expenses. To date the fundraiser has garnered than $40,400.
‘Stephanie was a kind, loving, and playful person whose warmth touched everyone she met. To know her was to love her,’ the fundraiser stated.
‘Her sudden departure has left her family and friends heartbroken and struggling to comprehend this immense loss.’
