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40-year-old Brian Packer of Wood River, NE is facing manslaughter charges as a result of a fatal boating accident that took place this summer.
Packer admitted to police officers that had drunk “about eight beers" while operating his pontoon boat at Sherman Reservoir on July 3. It may have been the influence of alcohol that caused Packer to collide with a ski boat that was towing a tube behind it. The crash claimed the lives of Joshua Rowley and Matthew McAlexander, two brothers who had been on vacation from North Carolina.
19-year-old Matthew died of his injuries at a hospital, while 12-year-old Joshua died at the scene.
When Conservation Officer Dale Davis of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission responded to the accident call at about 7 p.m., he suspected Packer of intoxication. Parker’s eyes were bloodshot and watery and there was a smell of alcohol on his breath.
Sherman County Deputy Dan Steiner administered a breath test at the scene of the accident. Both Packer and the driver of the ski boat were examined for signs of intoxication. The results showed that the ski boat driver had not been drinking, but Packer had a blood alcohol content level of .104.
A blood test at the Valley County Health System in Ord confirmed that Packer was intoxicated, showing a .089 blood alcohol reading. The legal limit to operate a motorized vehicle in Nebraska is .08.
While this case remains under investigation, the attorneys at Vujasinovic & Beckcom would like to extend their sincerest condolences to the victims’ family and friends.
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