Two Charged After 10-Year-Old Girl Killed in North Carolina Boating Incident
CHATHAM COUNTY, N.C. – Two people have been arrested following a deadly boating crash at Harris Lake that killed a 10-year-old girl and left a woman severely injured, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
The incident occurred around 4:35 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, about 25 miles south of Raleigh.
Felony Charges Filed
Authorities identified the operator of the boat as 40-year-old Quinten Gregory Kight, who is facing felony charges of death by impaired boating and serious injury by impaired boating, along with misdemeanor counts of careless and reckless operation of a vessel and operating a vessel while impaired.
56-year-old Annemarie Flanigan, the registered owner of the boat, has been charged with aiding and abetting death by impaired boating and aiding and abetting serious injury by impaired boating — both felonies.
Both defendants are being held on $500,000 bond.
Details of the Incident
Officials say Kight was operating a wake boat near a group of swimmers when he suddenly drove toward them, striking 10-year-old Brooklyn Mae Carroll and Jennifer Stehle. Stehle, who remains in intensive care, required amputation of her left leg due to her injuries.
Court records show Kight has a pending criminal charge in Moore County and has previously faced allegations in connection with a 2023 motorcycle hit-and-run. Investigators reported finding 39 empty alcohol bottles on the vessel, and sobriety testing revealed Kight was unable to follow instructions.
Remembering Brooklyn Mae Carroll
Carroll’s parents, Kim Cannon and Matt Carroll, described her as “caring, funny, compassionate and deeply sensitive” with an “infectious smile and loving heart.” The 10-year-old, a fifth-grade student at West Lake Elementary School in Apex, dreamed of becoming a teacher.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched to assist her family, describing her as “a light in every room she entered” whose laughter and kindness touched everyone she met. Her funeral service is scheduled for Friday, August 8.
Sheriff’s Warning on Boating Safety
Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson called the crash “a heartbreaking accident, but one that was preventable.”
“Alcohol was a factor, and the decision to operate a boat while impaired had devastating consequences,” Roberson said. “It only takes a moment for lives to be changed forever.”
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is leading the investigation.
Do you think boating under the influence laws are strict enough in North Carolina? Share your thoughts in the comments on SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
