The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published June 6, 2018

Charges dropped in triple fatality

LAKE OF THE OZARKS – The man accused of driving the boat that was involved in a triple fatality has been removed as the driver and the actual driver is now listed as “unknown” by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP).

Initially the MSHP said that on May 19 at 12:00 a.m., a 1991 Regal Runabout was traveling upstream at the 47.5 mile marker of the main channel when the boat struck a rock bluff ejecting the driver and two occupants into the water.

The driver re-entered the vessel and paddled to a dock across the channel. Medical Examiner Jason Elliot pronounced three occupants dead at the scene.

However the official details of the accident now state that “Vessel 1 was heading upstream and struck a rock bluff ejecting at least three occupants into the water. Mr. Frazier reentered the vessel and paddled to a dock across the channel.”

In the initial report it stated that Hayden Frazier, 22, of Overland Park, Kansas, was the driver of the boat.

That has now been changed to “unknown”.

Frazier was also charged at the time with the following offenses:

• Three counts of BWI (Boating while Intoxicated) – death of another
• BWI – Serious Physical Injury
• Negligent Operation of a Vessel First Offense.

The Camden County Prosecuting Attorneys (CCPA) office released a press release last week that stated the reason for the change in the information.

“The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s continuing investigation has revealed that Mr. Hayden M. Frazier of Overland Park, Kansas was not piloting the vessel at the time of the accident. As a result of this discovery this office has no intention of filing any criminal charges against Mr. Frazier stemming from the accident.”

According to the CCPA, the MSHP investigation led to the removal of Frazier as driver.

“The CCPA would like to thank the Missouri State Highway Patrol for their hard work in their investigation and we extend our condolences to the families of everyone who was aboard the vessel. Additional information will be released as it is deemed appropriate.”