Man admits he drank beer before Barnegat Bay boat crash that killed his 2 grandchildren
Stephen Schneider told police he had three beers, according to court documents.
BARNEGAT BAY, New Jersey (WABC) -- Stephen Schneider, 63, told police he consumed three beers over two hours before a boat crash in Barnegat Bay that killed his two young grandchildren, according to court documents.
The crash occurred around 9 p.m. July 19 when Schneider's Tidewater Custom 280 struck an Intracoastal Waterway channel marker. Schneider's grandchildren, a 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, were thrown from the vessel.
Court documents indicate both children were wearing life jackets and were seated at the front of the boat at the time of the crash.
Schneider allegedly told police he was traveling about 20 mph when he saw the day marker at the last second.
According to court records, Schneider said he, his grandchildren and their parents had dinner at MJ's Restaurant Bar & Grill in Bayville. The children and their parents arrived in a separate boat, but the children planned to return with their grandparents before the crash.
Schneider is charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide, operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel.
He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday at 9 a.m.
