On August 12, a 75-year-old man named Marlin Lee Larsen smashed full speed into another boat on the mouth of the Columbia River. Now, the owner of the fishing boat is suing. Bryan Maess claims that Larsen was distracted by his cell phone at the time of the accident.
Maess’ GoPro caught the terrifying crash, which could have ended much worse. The fishing boat is 21-feet, while the motorboat that hit it is 31-feet. After a passenger waves and shouts, the larger boat crashes into to the smaller mere seconds after the three people on board leap out. They were treated for minor injuries.
When officers responded to the accident, Larsen was cited for reckless operation, three counts of reckless endangerment and three counts of fourth-degree assault. According to reports, he told investigators that he “couldn’t see where he was driving since he was sitting down,” but denies using his cell phone at the time of the accident.
