What happened at the Merritt Island Boat Parade? Crash leaves three injured

On 7 December, Saturday night, a boat crash during the Merritt Island Boat Parade left three people injured, as reported on Sunday by authorities from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The accident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. near the 1500 block of Sykes Creek Drive while decorated boats were making their way through the canal. A video of the incident captures a Corvette-style boat speeding away before colliding with another vessel a short distance away.

According to WESH News, Terry Thorn, a witness, said he saw it coming:

"And he was swerving very quickly around the pilings."

Don Wilson, another witness, said:

"A guy in a boat that looked like a sports car was zooming around and doing donuts and generally driving recklessly. It looks like he was getting dangerously close to other boats. There was lots of other boats, and surely, within seconds, he hit someone."

According to WESH News, residents reported that the presence of numerous parked cars outside made it difficult for first responders to reach the scene, as they obstructed the roadway.

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The Merritt Island Boat Parade team has responded to the incident

In a Facebook post, the Merritt Island Boat Parade team acknowledged that the boat involved had not been registered for this year’s parade and assured the public that local law enforcement was handling the situation.

The team also condemned reckless behavior and committed to working with authorities to prevent similar incidents in the future. They wrote:

"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in last nights accident. We don't have any information on the driver of the boat as this vessel was not registered in this years parade and are trusting the situation is in good hands with local law enforcement."

The Merritt Island Boat Parade team assured cooperation in working with the concerned authorities to crack details around the incident and to prevent such incidents in the future. They wrote:

"We will work with local law enforcement to make sure this type of activity is immediately rectified in the future."

They also thanked the participants who ensured that they safely boated. They said:

"Thank you to the boaters who practiced safe boating and stuck to the route, we will continue working hard to ensure this tradition still remains a safe local favorite!"

The Merritt Island Boat Parade, a beloved holiday tradition near Christmas time that attracts large crowds along the canal, kicked off after dark on Saturday evening. The procession, which passes by homes filled with partygoers and spectators lining the waterway, started at the Sykes Creek Parkway Bridge and concluded at SeaRay Drive.