10-year-old girl died and a woman was severely injured after a drunk 42-year-old man operating a boat struck them while they were swimming in a lake; man charged
North Carolina – In a heartbreaking tragedy that unfolded on the waters of a North Carolina lake, a 42-year-old man, identified as Q. Kight, is facing serious criminal charges after crashing a boat into a group of swimmers, killing a 10-year-old girl, identified as B. Carroll, and causing a woman, identified as J. Stehle, to lose her leg. Authorities say Kight was drunk and not watching where he was going at the time of the crash.
Kight has been charged with death by impaired boating, operating a vessel while under the influence, and causing serious injury by impaired boating following the August 2 incident. Court records also show he has a pending hit-and-run charge from 2022, and a prior DUI conviction from New Mexico in 2010. Investigators said Kight had dozens of beer cans on board and was not looking forward when the crash happened—he was watching the people he was towing on an inner tube.
The deadly collision took place around 4:35 p.m. on a Saturday, as families and swimmers were enjoying a summer afternoon in the water. Among the group were Carroll, a 10-year-old fifth grader, and Stehle, a school social worker. While they swam about 100 feet from shore, Kight’s boat came circling back—this time heading straight for them. Without warning, the boat struck the group. Carroll was hit directly and succumbed to her injuries. Stehle was also struck—her left leg torn apart by the boat’s propeller. She was airlifted from the scene and rushed to the hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate her leg above the knee to save her life.
Authorities later revealed that Kight was operating his girlfriend’s wake boat while pulling people on an inner tube behind him. According to District Attorney J. Nieman, Kight wasn’t looking forward at all—he was focused behind him, watching the tubers. And he wasn’t alone. Investigators reported at least 39 beer cans in the boat, with signs that people had been “shotgunning” beers, a drinking practice known for rapid consumption. After the crash, officers arrested Kight not far from where the tragedy unfolded. He was taken into custody and booked into the county jail, where he remains on $500,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for August 20. A sample of his blood was collected for analysis, though officials have not yet released the results publicly.
Carroll’s family is now left to grieve the loss of a young girl whose life had barely begun. A tribute on a GoFundMe page described her as a child with an “infectious smile” and a spirit that lit up every room she entered. Her family is now preparing her funeral. Stehle, who survived the attack, faces a long and difficult road to recovery. Over $101,000 has already been raised online to help cover her medical expenses.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Prosecutors emphasized that Kight’s actions, while not intentionally malicious, were reckless and preventable, worsened by his decision to drink and operate a powerful watercraft. If convicted, Kight could face years behind bars for a tragedy that ended one life and forever altered another.
