Second Powerboat In Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix Fatal Accident Located

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — Search crews have located the Smith Brothers powerboat involved in the fatal Grand Prix accident here Sunday afternoon, according to nj.com.

The badly damaged 26-foot race boat was found at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday morning. Authorities are planning to raise it as part of the investigation of the accident, Mayor Stephen Reid said.

Investigators are trying to determine why the other boat — Repeat Offender — crossed in front of the Smith Brothers boat, which caused it to run over the top of the Repeat Offender, Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office has said.

The throttle man for the Repeat Offender, David Raabe, 38, of Forked River, was killed. The driver, James "JP" Byrne, 35, of Nutley, was seriously injured.

A New Jersey State Police boat was in the ocean off Bay Head on Tuesday using what appeared to be side-scan sonar during the search.

The transom of the Smith Brothers was ripped off during the collision and sank, Reid has said. Its two occupants, brothers Rich and Pete Smith, were thrown into the ocean but were rescued. They refused medical attention.

The Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Sunday night that the Repeat Offender was "at fault" after a preliminary investigation. But it's unclear why the Repeat Offender turned directly in front of the Smith Brothers.

The Smith Brothers, operated by Peter Smith, 50, Riverton, and his brother Richard Smith, 53, of Souderton, Pennsylvania, who was at the throttle, struck Repeat Offender while in a turn, Della Fave has said.

Both Raabe and Byrne were stuck by the hull of the Smith Brothers boat as it passed over the top of them. Both men were wearing full helmets. Raabe sustained serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at 1:22 p.m. Byrne suffered serious injuries and was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

The investigation is continuing.

Image: News12 New Jersey