Authorities are investigating an accidental late-night hit-and-run boating incident that left a victim in critical condition.
Witnesses say the 25-foot boat was traveling at speeds of 35-45 mph and creating a large wake (a turbulent V-shaped wave produced by a boat) in the restricted area. The operator of the 25-foot boat, Justin Erickson, a 51-year-old, did not stop immediately after colliding with the smaller vessel, which led to running the vessel over and throwing the victim overboard. Shortly after the collision, Erickson came back to the scene.
Erickson says he thought he had just hit a log, so that was the cause of him going back to the scene shortly after. He also says he was traveling at 15 mph and that he was ‘visibly impaired’ by the setting sun (Wiley and Hetherwick).
Erickson declined a field sobriety test, so the officers did not observe any alcoholic beverages on his boat, but an officer claimed to have smelt alcohol on the boat without being able to know where it was coming from.
The victim, identified as 21-year-old Jack Edwards, was found afloat in the water with a lot of injuries, such as broken bones, major lacerations, and a collapsed lung. Witnesses claim the boat was having engine trouble and was disabled at the time of the collision, and that they were waving their hands in the air and yelling before the collision to get Erickson’s (the operator of the 25-foot boat) attention, but he did not hear them or see them.
The victim’s mom, Jessica Edwards, says Jack is not just dealing with the pain but also dealing with emotional trauma from the crash. His mom says he can still picture the image of the boat coming towards him.
A GoFundMe was made for Jack Edwards by his mother for medical expenses. The fundraiser has raised more than $26,200 for Jack as of today.
Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson found probable cause for assault by watercraft and ordered Erickson be released without bail but with conditions. Prosecutors had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to charge him or else those conditions would expire. The deadline came and went, and no charges have been filed as of last Friday afternoon (Bilbao).
Works Cited
Bilbao, Martín. “Thurston Co. prosecutor recuses office from boater assault case due to conflict.” The Olympian, 8 May 2026, https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article315690707.html. Accessed 12 May 2026.
Wiley, Elizabeth, and Molly Hetherwick. “Hit-and-run boat collision near Boston Harbor leaves person with permanent injuries.” KING 5 News, 4 May 2026, https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/hit-and-run-boat-collision-boston-harbor-injured-arrest/281-fdfe5655-ed2c-490c-8f3d-d861e398109d. Accessed 8 May 2026
