19-year-old man charged in Hilton Head Jet Ski crash that killed college student, officials say
A 19-year-old Pennsylvania man who was driving the second Jet Ski in the fatal Hilton Head crash Tuesday that killed 20-year-old Ciara Eiriz has been charged, according to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources spokesperson David Lucas.
Ciara Eiriz, a fashion merchandising student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, was pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday afternoon.
Lucas said Friday that the 19-year-old man, who is from the Pittsburgh area, was charged with negligent operation of water device after the fatal crash, a misdemeanor.
SCDNR officers gave the man a field sobriety test, and he passed it, according to Lucas. “There is no indication alcohol was a factor in the crash,” he said.
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette newspapers typically do not name those charged with misdemeanor crimes unless they are in a position of authority or public trust.
The two Jet Skis involved in the crash were rented from Sea Monkeys Watersports, a company located at Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort & Marina, and were traveling in the same group with two instructional guides, Lucas said.
They were heading toward Mackay Creek when the two Jet Skis collided. The 19-year-old man, and several others, immediately tried to help Eiriz, Lucas previously told the Island Packet. She was transported by boat back to Hilton Head Harbour RV Resort and Marina.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the marina, located on the west side of the island, at 12:40 p.m.
The 19-year-old was not injured in the crash.
Lucas said Eiriz did not know the man, and the two were on separate vacations, though they knew people in common.
He said DNR, the lead investigating agency in the crash, does not anticipate additional charges to be filed in the case.
In South Carolina, boaters 16 years of age and older may operate any recreational boat or personal watercraft without a specific boating license.
“Negligent operation includes, but is not limited to, operating a water device at more than idle speed in a no wake zone, failing to maintain a proper lookout for other boats or persons, operating too fast for conditions on the water, racing, or pulling a skier through a designated swimming area,” according to South Carolina Law.
Lucas said that failing to maintain a proper lookout is the most common reason for the charge. The 19-year-old could be fined up to $250 for the charge or face 30 days imprisonment.
Tuesday’s crash is the second fatal boating accident in Beaufort County in 2019. In February, 19-year-old Mallory Beach died in a fatal boat crash near Parris Island. There weren’t any fatal boating crashes in the county last year.
This story was originally published August 2, 2019 at 5:02 PM with the headline "19-year-old man charged in Hilton Head Jet Ski crash that killed college student, officials say."
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