Mother of fatal boat crash victim pushes for stricter boating laws
DEER PARK, Long Island (WABC) -- A Long Island mother, who lost her daughter in a boating accident in 2005, is taking her fight to establish stricter boating laws to the state level.
Gina Lieneck of Deer Park is planning to present a bill for Brianna's Law to the New York State legislature in January.
Her daughter, 11-year-old Brianna Lieneck, died in a boating accident August 17, 2005, in the Great South Bay. Lieneck's family believes the driver of the boat that slammed into her family's boat was drunk, but there was no evidence to prove it and charges were dropped.
Brianna's Law calls for mandatory in-classroom boating education and certification for all operators of power-driven vessels and the elimination of online boating certification courses. It stipulates that a blood alcohol content test should be given within two hours of a fatal or serious boating accident, and that all power-driven vessels used in teaching on-water training be equipped with a propeller guard.
"I don't ever want to see another family go through this, because it's the worst feeling in the world every day waking up and not having my daughter here," Lieneck said. "Nothing was going to prevent that night but I will prevent other accidents."
Lieneck is hoping to get more people to sign her Change.org petition so that she can show legislators she has the support of the community. To sign it, visit this site.
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