Drunk boater had no hands on wheel in crash that killed ‘exceptional’ NY college grad, prosecutors say

The boater charged in the crash that killed a 24-year-old student athlete was drunk and dancing without his hands on the wheel when he slammed the stolen boat into a Boston pier, according to prosecutors.

Lawrence Shieh, 40, of Boston, was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on a slew of charges in connection with the May 13 crash that killed Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert, who played soccer for Union College in Schenectady, and injured two of her friends.

His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit after a night of bar-hopping when he crashed the boat that the owners previously revealed was taken without permission.

“That night, Lawrence Shieh drank a mix of alcoholic beverages at the ReelHouse with friends and several other bars in the Seaport,” District Attorney Kevin Hayden told reporters.

“Blood testing after the crash recorded his blood-alcohol at .20, or more than twice the .08 legal limit here in Massachusetts.”

Among the charges handed down were one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of operating a boat while intoxicated causing death, two counts of operating a boat while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury and one count of using a boat without authority.

The crash’s proximity to Logan International Airport resulted in an additional charge of an airport security violation, District Attorney Kevin Hayden told reporters.

Dankert, 24, and her friends had been out in Boston’s Seaport District earlier Wednesday night when they boarded the Freedom Boat Club’s vessel without permission, according to the club.

“The vessel involved was taken without authorization and operated outside the knowledge and control of the Club, well after the Club had closed for the day,” the club told WCVB at the time.

Dankert, of Andover, was a 2024 graduate of Union College, a small liberal arts school, where she played soccer.

“Lizzie was an exceptional student-athlete who had a tremendous impact during her four years at Union College,” Union College spokesman Phillip Wajda told Boston 25 in a statement. 

“Her passing is a profound loss for our campus community. We offer our condolences to Lizzie’s family, classmates, teammates, and all those who were lucky to know this terrific young woman.”