CLEARWATER, Fla. — The St. Petersburg man who was driving the boat that crashed into the Clearwater ferry has faced previous boating charges since 2012, according to public records. 

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials said Jeff Knight, 62, was operating the recreational boat that slammed into the ferry causing a deadly crash with multiple injuries on Sunday night. 

Knight has a history of boating, DUI and traffic charges, according to court records in Florida.

Pinellas County court records show he faced a careless operation of a vessel citation and a misdemeanor for allowing a person under 14 years old to operate a boat in 2017. He was convicted on the first charge but not sentenced. 

Knight also was charged in a 2019 boating accident, which was later dismissed. In 2012, he was sued after a man died getting off a boat, but it was dismissed. 

He was charged in 2007 but that was reduced to reckless driving where he was convicted but not sentenced. Knight also faced a DUI charge in 2012 and was found guilty, according to county court records. 

However, a breathalyzer test conducted on Knight found no alcohol in his system, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). 

His attorney provided 10 Tampa Bay with the following statement:

“This is a heartbreaking situation for everyone involved. Out of deep respect for Mr. Castro’s family, and for the many others who were injured, it would be inappropriate to comment publicly at this time.”

During the incident, officials said Knight cooperated with law enforcement, although he initially drove away 10 minutes after the crash. His boat was found 3.5 miles south of the crash with people still on board.

Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy said the crash left one man dead and 10 others injured. Six people were taken to hospitals as trauma alerts. Injuries among the victims included broken bones, officials said Monday. No children were injured in the crash.

The man who died was identified as 41-year-old Jose Castro by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

FWC is handling the crash investigation and has seized both the ferry and the boat. No one has been charged.

Attorneys for Jeff Knight provided 10 Tampa Bay with the following letter:

Knight is the owner of Knight Global Entertainment, LLC, which runs several St. Petersburg businesses, including Jannus Live, Pelican Pub, MacDinton’s Irish Pub, Ringside Cafe, Detriot Liquor and The Landing.

Jannus Live issued a statement urging the community to use “compassion and patience as the facts surrounding this heartbreaking incident continue to emerge.”

“We ask that judgment be reserved while the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the United States Coast Guard conduct their thorough investigation into what occured that night,” the statement reads, in part.

10 Tampa Bay’s Andrea Chu contributed to this report.