Oshkosh man makes initial court appearance for July Fox River powerboat-paddleboat crash
OSHKOSH – A 52-year-old Oshkosh man accused of crashing his powerboat into a two-story paddleboat in July made his initial court appearance Thursday morning.
Jason Lindemann is charged in Winnebago County with two counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, 18 counts of failing to render aid in a boating accident and one count of negligent operation of a boat. The Winnebago County district attorney also charged Lindemann with operating a boat while intoxicated in connection with the incident.
Lindemann was arrested in July and released on $10,000 bond, under conditions that he maintain absolute sobriety and surrender his passport. At Thursday's hearing, Court Commissioner Eric Heywood ruled that the conditions of Lindemann's bond continue.
No victims made statements at the hearing.
Around 10 p.m. July 9, the two-story paddleboat, owned and operated by On The Loos Cruises and carrying 44 people, was headed downstream on the Fox River, between the Oregon Street and Wisconsin Street bridges in Oshkosh, when a 45-foot-long powerboat travelling upstream crashed into its port side.
According to the crash report, people aboard the paddleboat and camera footage from the nearby bridges saw the powerboat "make reckless maneuvers" before it headed straight toward the paddleboat, failing to yield the right of way. The powerboat did not activate its navigation lights and turned just before impact in an apparent attempt to avoid hitting the paddleboat.
The powerboat, with seven people onboard, immediately fled the scene.
Multiple people aboard the paddleboat and powerboat were injured. Everyone on both boats made it safely to shore.
The paddleboat sustained serious damage to its port side, forcing On the Loos Cruises to pause bookings, the company announced in a statement on its website.
Multiple passengers aboard the powerboat, owned and operated by Lindemann, told investigators they had been drinking with Lindemann at the Dockside Tavern, located at 425 Nebraska St., which Lindemann owns, prior to going for the boat ride the night of the crash, according to the criminal complaint.
Lindemann's preliminary hearing is set for 10:45 a.m. Feb. 2.
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Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh man charged in July boat crash makes initial court appearance
