Boater cleared in fatal collision
A Miami Beach boater was cleared of criminal wrongdoing in the October 2006 Columbus Day Regatta party crash in Biscayne Bay that killed two college students.
After an investigation, prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge of violating navigational rules against Roland Desrochers, who skippered one of four boats involved in the fatal wreck.
"Based on all the evidence, this incident appears to be a tragic, unfortunate and horrible accident,'' Miami-Dade assistant state attorney Nicole Johnson wrote in her final memo.
Desrocher's 35-1/2-foot Intrepid powerboat collided with two boats being towed by another on Oct. 7, 2006.
