Lexington alleged drunk boating trial delayed again

For the second time a trial highlighting the dangers of drinking while boating was postponed Monday.

The trial involves a nighttime boat crash on Lake Murray in April, 2013, when an allegedly speeding boat on the lake rammed a pontoon boat on which a grandfather and his three grandchildren were sleeping, according to court papers.

The trial was postponed this time because a key lawyer in the case dropped out, said attorney Jim Griffin of Columbia. He is representing the grandfather, David Stradling.

Although no one was killed in the crash, Stradling was injured and fearful for his grandchildren’s safety in the frenzied minutes after impact, according to court records.

Stradling, who was injured in the crash, asserts he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. By bringing the lawsuit, he is seeking medical damages and to heighten boat safety awareness on the lake, which can draw hundreds of boaters on good weather days, according to court records. The grandchildren were also injured, according to the lawsuit.

William Hampton of Chapin, who hit Stradling’s watercraft, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of reckless operation of a boat while under the influence of alcohol and failure to keep proper lookout, records show.

Hampton, 50, served two days in the Lexington County jail last August and was fined $215, officials said.

A test taken shortly after the crash showed Hampton had a blood-alcohol level of .15, according to an arrest warrant in Lexington County Magistrate Court. A reading of .08 is considered evidence of intoxication in operation of a vehicle in South Carolina.

Boating after sunset remains popular at the 47,500-acre lake despite warnings from shoreline community leaders that it is increasingly dangerous.

The crash occurred near a strait in the center of the Spence Islands about a mile west of the dam on Lake Murray, authorities said.

Stradling and his grandchildren were on an overnight camping and fishing trip, according to his lawsuit.

According to Hampton’s answer to the lawsuit, he is claiming that Stradling is partly at fault, but did not explain why.

This story was originally published March 23, 2015 at 12:24 PM.