Vic: Teen charged with manslaughter over speedboat death

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2008
Vic: Teen charged with manslaughter over speedboat death

MELBOURNE, Dec 28 AAP - Police have charged a Melbourne teenager with manslaughter
following the death of a young woman who was flung from a speedboat when it hit a tree
in central Victoria.

Police expected to question the 16-year-old male driver of the speedboat on Monday
at his hospital bedside about the weekend mishap at Lake Eildon.

They confirmed they had charged a teenage boy with manslaughter and that he had been
bailed to appear at a children's court in the near future.

An 18-year-old woman from Ringwood North died when the 5.5-metre Hallett Scorpion speedboat
smashed into a tree protruding from the water near Nicholas Inlet, about 1.30am (AEDT)
on Sunday.

She was thrown into the water on impact and disappeared.

Sergeant Steve McRae of Eildon police later said the woman suffered head and chest
trauma and was believed to have died from her injuries, not from drowning.

The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to Maroondah Hospital with a suspected
broken arm.

AAP gfr/jl

KEYWORD: SPEEDBOAT

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