A tragic incident in Massachusetts claimed the life of a 24-year-old former college athlete when she and her friends reportedly commandeered a boat without permission, leading to a collision with a pier.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert, who once played soccer for Union College, lost her life after a powerboat crashed into a pier close to a runway at Logan International Airport at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, as reported by Massachusetts State Police.
The incident gained immediate attention because the group is accused of taking the vessel unlawfully after the club’s closing hours.
On the night of the crash, Dankert and her companions were in Boston’s Seaport District when they allegedly accessed a boat belonging to the Freedom Boat Club after the facility had shut down for the evening, shared Lee Gordon, spokesperson for Brunswick Corporation, the club’s parent company, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The Freedom Boat Club offers a membership-based model as an alternative to owning a boat, boasting numerous locations across the globe.
After the tragic collision, a damaged recreational boat was found near a pier at Logan International Airport in Boston. The crash resulted in the death of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert, a former soccer player from Union College, according to Massachusetts State Police. (Boston Emergency Medical Services)
“The vessel involved in the incident was taken without authorization and operated outside the knowledge and control of the Club, well after the Club had closed for the day,” Gordon said. “This activity did not occur within normal Club operations or established protocols governing access to and use of our vessels.
“We are cooperating fully with all relevant authorities as they work to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he added.
Boston EMS said in a Facebook post that crews responded to the crash overnight in difficult conditions, including darkness and slippery shoreline rocks near the pier.
EMTs worked with Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) fire crews to extricate four people from the rocks, including one critically injured patient.
A former collegiate student-athlete was killed after a recreational powerboat crashed into a pier near a runway at Logan International Airport late Wednesday night. (Getty Images, File)
Following the crash, the boat’s driver, Lawrence Shieh, 40, and two of Dankert’s 23-year-old friends were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.
The three suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to WCVB.
“Lizzie was an exceptional student-athlete who had a tremendous impact during her four years at Union College,” school spokesperson Phillip Wajda told Boston 25 in a statement.
“Her passing is a profound loss for our campus community,” he added.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate the crash.
The attorney’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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