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