Prosecutors say the Boston boater accused in a deadly crash that claimed the life of a 24-year-old former student-athlete was drunk, distracted and dancing with his hands off the wheel moments before the stolen vessel slammed into a pier.
Lawrence Shieh, 40, of Boston, has been indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on a series of charges tied to the May 13 crash that killed Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert, 24, and left two of her friends injured. The charges include involuntary manslaughter, boat OUI causing death, two counts of boat OUI causing serious bodily injury, using a boat without authority and violating the Logan International Airport security zone.
Authorities said Shieh’s blood-alcohol level was recorded at more than double the legal limit after a night that prosecutors described as involving stops at multiple bars before the fatal collision.
“That night, Lawrence Shieh drank a mix of alcoholic beverages at the ReelHouse with friends and several other bars in the Seaport,” Suffolk County 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.”
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert, a former college soccer player, died from blunt force injuries. (Lizzie Dankert/Facebook)
The vessel, which prosecutors said did not have exterior lighting, had been docked at Freedom Boat Club in Boston’s Seaport District before it was taken without permission. Shieh was a member of the club, but investigators said he was not authorized to take the boat out. Hayden said cellphone videos, including footage recorded on Dankert’s phone, documented the moments leading up to the crash.
“Cellphone videos recorded Shieh’s conduct, including inattentiveness at the helm, dancing and engaging with the three young women. Approximately six seconds before the crash, Shieh is captured on video with both hands off the wheel of the boat,” Hayden said.
The boat struck a pier near a Logan International Airport runway on May 13, 2026, killing Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert. (Facebook/Boston EMS)
The boat then crashed nearly head-on into Pier 4R at Logan.
“Recovered data from the boat navigation system indicates that the boat was traveling at a dangerously excessive speed for the area of 36 mph at the time of the crash,” Hayden said.
Dankert struck her head and died as a result of blunt force injuries. The other two women and Shieh suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Dankert, of Andover, was a 2024 graduate of Union College, where she played soccer.
“Lizzie was an exceptional student-athlete who had a tremendous impact during her four years at Union College,” Union College spokesperson Phillip Wajda told Boston 25 in a statement. News Outlet has reached out to Union College for comment.
Lawrence Shieh, 40, of Boston, was indicted Tuesday morning by a Suffolk County grand jury on 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, one count of using a boat without authority, and one count of a Logan Airport security violation, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced during an afternoon news conference. (Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
In his first hearing, a cash bail was set at $25,000 with conditions for Shieh to stay away and have no contact with the female witnesses, Fan Pier and Freedom Boat Club employees, stay away from the ReelHouse in Seaport and no boating or consume alcohol during the investigations.
Shieh’s attorney, Nick Pisegna, said in the hearing that his client did not have a criminal record and has been “diligently attending” his appointments following the incident.
Shieh was released after posting bail. He is due back in court on Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. for a pre-trial conference. News Outlet has reached out to Shieh’s attorney for comment.
