Boater In Deadly FL Ferry Crash Steps Down From Music Venue; Victim's Family Seeks Justice

Updated: 2:40 p.m. Wednesday

CLEARWATER, FL — Jeffrey Knight, owner of the Jannus Live music venue and the accused hit-and-run boater who collided with the back of the Clearwater Ferry, has stepped down from his role with the downtown St. Petersburg outdoor site.

Sunday night's accident killed a father of two young girls and injured at least 10 other people.

There have been no arrests or charges filed in the crash. State officials said Knight was the driver of a recreational boat that struck the ferry.

“Effective immediately, Jeff Knight is stepping down from his position at Jannus Live and will no longer have any affiliation with the venue,” according to a statement shared by Jannus on social media. “This decision was made out of respect for the victims of the recent Clearwater Ferry tragedy and to ensure that ongoing developments do not detract from the work of the talented artists, staff and community partners who have long contributed to the success of Jannus Live.”

The venue will continue normal operations under its existing management team.

On Tuesday, Knight’s attorney denied that the businessman fled the scene of the crash, according to multiple reports.

In a letter to investigators, the attorney addressed what he called “misinformation” about the crash and pushed back on reports that the 62-year-old left quickly after the crash.

"Immediately after the accident, Mr. Knight directed a passenger on his vessel to call 911, and that passenger remained on the line with 911 for 12 minutes… Mr. Knight tied his vessel to the ferry in order to stabilize it and render aid. He used his boat to maneuver the ferry closer to shore so that first responders would have easier access to the passengers,” the letter reads, according to Fox 13.

The family of the man killed in the ferry crash, Jose Castro, 41, a U.S. postal worker from Palm Harbor, is demanding justice following the fatal incident. They say they don’t understand why Knight hasn’t been arrested.

“I want this guy to pay for what he did, for what we’re going through right now,” Castro’s sister, Sandy Todd, told the Tampa Bay Times. “My family is destroyed.”

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The attorney's letter goes on to say Knight "told the captain of the ferry boat he was able to transport injured individuals by water to Morton Plant Hospital … this offer was declined."

The captain of a pirate cruise ship was among the first to spot the deadly Clearwater Ferry crash and call it in to authorities.

“We're doing an activity with the kids and all the people,” Andrew Triglio, first mate for Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise, told WTSP. “Then we noticed the boat to the side of us drifting with the roof all messed up, and they were screaming to help us, and then we jumped into action from there.”

“Mayday, mayday, mayday! There’s been a boat collision. The Clearwater ferry, underneath the Clearwater Memorial Causeway. The Clearwater ferry is adrift,” according to mayday transmission audio made after the crash released by the Coast Guard, WFLA said.

Triglio also said he saw the boat that hit the ferry lingering for a few minutes after the crash and he initially thought they were also Good Samaritans helping the victims — until it abruptly left the scene.

“We thought it was a passenger helping them, like another boat, because we didn't see who hit them,” he said. “It may have been that boat, and then knocked [the ferry] into the sandbar, and they took off.”

A spokesperson for the FWC said during a Monday afternoon news conference, before Knight was publicly identified, that the operator of the boat willingly provided a breath alcohol sample, which showed no sign of alcohol.

The driver voluntarily took a Breathalyzer test that registered a .000, the FWC spokesperson said.

There have been no arrests or charges filed in the crash.

Todd said her family immigrated to the U.S. from Peru about 20 years ago. She described her brother as a family man who was dedicated to his two daughters, Ivory, 8, and Jolene, 3. He also leaves behind their mother, 27-year-old Jenny Hernandez.

While their youngest daughter doesn’t understand what happened to her father, their oldest is upset.

“She’s just crying for her dad,” Hernandez told the Times. “She was just in shock. She couldn’t believe that there was an accident and that he was the only one that didn’t survive.”