Another Allegedly Intoxicated Not Guilty Plea

Bayport man pleads not guilty in fatal boat crash

By Andy Rathbun
arathbun@pioneerpress.com
Posted: 02/26/2014 12:01:00 AM CST

A Bayport man has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a June boating crash that killed a passenger.

Prosecutors allege 47-year-old Patrick A. Puhalla was behind the wheel of a boat and legally intoxicated when it crashed into the St. Croix River shoreline the night of June 5, killing 40-year-old David J. Riley, of New Richmond, Wis.

On Tuesday, Puhalla entered a not guilty plea in Pierce County Circuit Court to charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, homicide by use of a vehicle with prohibited alcohol content, homicide by negligent use of a vehicle, causing injury by intoxicated boat operation and causing injury by boat operation with prohibited alcohol content.

Puhalla, Riley and another man were returning to Windmill Marina in Afton, where Riley worked as harbormaster, when the 40-foot Formula 400 boat struck the shore north of the Kinnickinnic State Park beach, according to the criminal complaint.

Puhalla was allegedly operating the boat, and testing of his blood following the crash showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.114.

He told investigators that electronics were supposed to be operating the boat, the complaint states

http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_2...tal-boat-crash

Prior Lead-Up

ELLSWORTH, Wis. - A Minnesota man has been criminally charged in a fatal boating crash on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix River.

Forty-seven-year-old Patrick Puhalla, of Bayport, Minn., is accused of driving a boat while drunk last June and crashing into the shoreline near Kinnickinnic State Park. Forty-year-old David Riley, of New Richmond, was a passenger in the boat and was killed. Riley worked as a harbormaster at Windmill Marina in Afton, Minn.

Puhalla is charged in Pierce County with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, among other counts. Puhalla says he was not actually operating the boat and that it was being steered by electronics on the night of the crash.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press (http://bit.ly/1dXtDea ) reports another passenger in the boat, Daniel Schulte, told investigators Puhalla did not appear to be intoxicated.

ELLSWORTH, Wis. - A Minnesota man is dead after a boating accident on the St. Croix River late Wednesday.

Pierce County, WisconsinSheriff's deputiessay a boat carrying three people was headed northbound on the riveraround 11:45 p.m. Wednesdaywhen it hit a rock north of the Kinnickinnic State Park beach, which is south of Hudson.

Passenger David Joseph Riley of Afton, Minnesota, age 40,was pronounced dead at the scene by the Pierce County Medical Examiner.

Theowner and driver of the boat, 46-year-old PatrickAnthony Puhalla of Bayport, Minnesota and 55-year-old passenger Daniel Michael Schultz ofHudsonwere rushed to Regions Hospital with injuries.

A spokesperson for Regions Hospital says that Puhalla is in good condition and Schult has been treated and released.

The incident is still under investigation by the Pierce County Sheriffs Department and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

This will be an interesting case to follow. If you are legally intoxicated, can you get off by having the boat under automatic co-pilot control, (whether it's true or not)?

I sure as heck hope not.....