Families Sue Boat Owner In Fatal Clearwater Ferry Crash: Reports

CLEARWATER, FL — At least two lawsuits have been filed in a deadly Clearwater ferry crash that killed a Palm Harbor man and injured 10 others, media reports say.

A family of six recently filed a lawsuit against Jannus Live owner Jeff Knight, 62, and Mad Toys III, citing negligence when Knight's boat rear-ended the Clearwater Ferry on April 27, WFLA reported.

Jannus Live is Knight's popular music venue in downtown St. Petersburg. Mad Toys III is listed as the owner of Knight's 38-foot-long boat, WFTS reported.

The family in the second lawsuit against Knight were passengers on the boat; their lawsuit came after another passenger filed one in May, WFLA reported.

Three lawsuits total from six injured passengers have been filed in the fatal crash in Pinellas County, and plaintiffs are asking for around $50,000, according to a WFTS report published Tuesday.

Knight said he had to leave the area because his boat was taking on water, according to reports. He went to the Belleair Causeway Boat Ramp, about 3.5 miles away, where he was contacted by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

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The crash killed Jose Castro, 41, and injured nearly a dozen others, wildlife officials previously said.

Fire officials declared the crash a mass casualty incident when it was reported because of the number and severity of injuries.

Six patients were declared trauma alerts, with two of them being brought to a local hospital by helicopter, police said. Castro later died from his injuries.

“It’s been a traumatic experience for them, as you can imagine, especially with so many family members involved," attorney Stephanie Barnes, representing the families in the lawsuits, told WFLA. "But they’re, you know, seeing doctors, they’re going through the rehabilitation process and seem to be moving in the right direction."

Knight had been accused of participating in another boating incident before the Clearwater accident.

On Jan. 18, 2012, while socializing on his yacht — Pure Knight Life, which was docked near what was then called the Renaissance Vinoy Resort — a 49-year-old St. Petersburg man on board died after slipping while stepping from the boat and hitting his head, the Tampa Bay Times said.

The victim’s friends, including Knight, pulled him from the water.

The man had alcohol and cocaine in his system, reports said. The Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s Office determined he drowned.

His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Knight.

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Patch editor Tiffany Razzano contributed to this report.