Estate Of Jose Fernandez Settles Fatal Boat Suit

MIAMI, FL — The estate of Marlins pitching great Jose Fernandez has settled a wrongful death lawsuit in the case of the late baseball player's two friends who died in the horrific 2016 boating crash that also ended his life. The settlement came on what would have been Fernandez' 26th birthday earlier this week, according to his attorney, who described the July 31 timing as "sheer accident." The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

"It's a tragic day for everyone in the sense that three wonderful boys died that day," Tampa attorney Ralph Fernandez told Patch Friday. "The families are all equally affected and it's not a question of who did what now. It's a question of trying to bring some finality."

Fernandez introduced hundreds of pages of court documents that challenged the official Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission report of the crash. That report found sufficient evidence to suspect the pitcher of boating under the influence manslaughter and vessel homicide, both second-degree felonies. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office toxicology report showed Fernandez' blood alcohol level to be 0.147 percent and noted the presence of cocaine, but it was not clear whether Fernandez took the drug or had it slipped into his drink by someone else.

The investigation also suggested that Fernandez had violated a number of other state laws in piloting his boat, "Kaught Looking," which slammed into the Miami Government Cut jetty at 3:02 a.m. in September of 2016 in and flipped upside down.

"I think about six, seven months ago is when I filed the initial response to the Fish and Wildlife report, eviscerating the claims made in establishing that it was based on false testimony and destruction of evidence" according to the attorney.

He said a subsequent filing further cleared the memory of the beloved ahtlete. "It again established that Jose Fernandez had indeed been framed," the attorney asserted.

Now that the civil case has been settled, Fernandez said he wants to hold a fundraiser in September or October to help save the athlete's home from foreclosure and restore his legacy.

"The report now as it stands is not worth the paper that it was written on at all," he told Patch.

He added that Fernandez was the "heart and soul" of Miami. "The face of baseball died that day and many people supported him despite what they read. They did not believe it. Those people were right. Those people have to be very proud of themselves — the ones who said, 'I don't believe what they're saying about Joseito.'"

The attorney also believes that the once planned tributes to Fernandez will proceed now that the crash report has been challenged.

"The statue will go up and the streets will be named and he'll be remembered as he was — just the face of baseball happiness, and of someone who loved this country, and who had to stuggle to get here, then made the very best."

Teammates leave their hats on the pitching mound to honor the late Jose Fernandez after the game against the New York Mets at Marlins Park on Sept. 26, 2016 in Miami. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)