Drunken Camden Co. Boater Sentenced For Fatal Great Bay Crash

GALLOWAY, NJ — A drunken, speeding boater from Atco was sentenced to prison for an Atlantic County boat crash that killed one passenger and injured two others, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

Jason Santo, 44, will spend five years in New Jersey State Prison for reckless death by auto and assault offenses. That sentence is subject to 85 percent parole eligibility pursuant to the No Early Release Act, a mandatory three-year term of parole supervision and a five-year period of driver’s license suspension, officials said.

Santo was operating his boat in Great Bay in the area of the Intracoastal Waterway on the evening of Aug. 11, 2023, authorities said. He admitted to being intoxicated and speeding when the boat crashed into a channel marker. That collision killed 44-year-old Tabernacle resident Mark Risden and injured two other boat passengers, officials said.

Investigation found that Santo's level of intoxication and speed were significant contributing factors to the fatal crash, authorities said.