Short prison term for NJ boater who admits to drunk, high-speed crash that killed man
⚖️ Atco man gets 5 years in deadly boating crash that killed a man
🍻 Jason Santo admits he was drunk and speeding in the dark when he crashed
🕊️ Loved ones mourn victim Mark Risden, remembering his compassion and laughter
A 44-year-old Camden County man received just five years in prison for a drunken, high-speed boat crash that killed one victim and hurt two others.
On Monday, Jason Santo, from the Atco section of Waterford, was sentenced by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Donna Taylor in the death of Tabernacle resident Mark Risden.
Santo pleaded guilty in August to second-degree reckless death by vessel and two counts of fourth-degree assault by vessel for the deadly wreck on the water two years earlier.
Great Bay crash happened at night while speeding drunk
On Aug. 11, 2023, Santo was operating his boat in Great Bay, near the Intercoastal Waterway.
The waterway extends along the New Jersey coast from the Manasquan Inlet to the Delaware Bay, about 3 miles north of Cape May Point.
Santo admitted to being drunk and speeding in the dark when he crashed into a channel marker.
The 44-year-old Risden was airlifted to a hospital but died shortly after, while two other people onboard the boat were also hurt.
“He was compassionate, loving, and always put others before himself. His infectious smile, boisterous laugh and positive personality left a lasting impression on all those he met,” Risden’s obituary said.
State Police Marine Service Bureau, the U.S. Coast Guard, and TowBoat U.S. all responded to the wreck.
Boater must serve 4+ years before parole eligibility
Santo must serve just over four years before becoming eligible for parole.
He was also sentenced to a mandatory three-year term of parole supervision and five years of driver’s license suspension.
Read More: Boating accident in Barnegat Bay claims life of Princeton doctor
This past August, a doctor from Princeton was killed after being thrown from and hit by his own boat while in the Barnegat Bay.
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