By Staff
CASSOPOLIS - Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz announced Wednesday that Brandon Cripe, 33, of Mishawaka, Ind., pleaded guilty as charged in Fourth District Court to the two-year offense of marine negligent homicide for his operation of a Jet Ski on Aug. 20, 2005, on Donnell Lake in Penn Township.
The incident resulted in the death of a 7-year-old boy.
A 90-day misdemeanor of impaired operation of a marine vehicle was dismissed in exchange for Cripe's plea to the two-year crime.
Judge Paul Deats took the guilty plea.
At the plea the defendant acknowledged driving a watercraft at a high rate of speed and in a reckless fashion, colliding with a raft carrying two children, killing one of them. The other child suffered minor injuries. A motor boat had been pulling the raft on Donnell lake.
Cripe's blood alcohol level was determined to be .08. The case was successfully investigated by the Cass County Sheriff's Office.
Sentencing in front of Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge will be set in the near future.