A 40-year-old man from Vass, North Carolina, has been charged with impaired boating and death by impaired boating after allegedly crashing his boat into swimmers at Harris Lake on August 2, 2025, killing a 10-year-old girl and critically injuring a woman.
Quinten Gregory Knight was operating his girlfriend’s Tiger Wake Boat when he struck Brooklyn Mae Carroll and Jennifer Stehle, who were swimming in the lake before 4:35 p.m. on Saturday. Carroll, a rising fifth grader at West Lake Elementary School, was pronounced dead at the scene. Stehle, a school social worker with Wake County Public School System, sustained severe injuries and was airlifted to the hospital, where her left leg was amputated above the knee.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission confirmed that Knight had been charged with Operating While Impaired and Death by Impaired Boating. An arrest warrant indicated that Knight was under the influence of an impairing substance and unintentionally caused the death of the child. Chatham County District Attorney Jeff Nieman revealed that investigators discovered 39 empty beer cans aboard Knight’s boat following the crash.
According to court documents, Knight was allegedly looking backward toward a tube he was towing at the time of the incident. Investigators report that Knight allegedly attempted to dispose of the alcohol containers after the collision. North Carolina Wildlife Commission Sergeant Claude Smith indicated that Knight drove into three swimmers at the lake.
Officers arrested Knight at the Cross Point Access Area. He is being held on a $500,000 secured bond. Court records show that Knight has a pending felony hit-and-run charge from a December 2023 incident in Moore County, in which he was accused of causing injuries.
Knight’s girlfriend, Annemarie Flanigan of Vass, who owned the boat and allowed Knight to operate it while under the influence, was arrested on Tuesday. She faces charges of aiding and abetting felony death by impaired boating, aiding and abetting felony serious injury by impaired boating, and aiding and abetting DWI on a motor boat.
Sheriff Mike Roberson described the incident as a heartbreaking but preventable accident. Roberson stated that “alcohol was a factor, and the decision to operate a boat while impaired had devastating consequences.” The sheriff urged the public to reconsider mixing alcohol with watercraft operation and asked for thoughts and prayers for the affected families.
The Wildlife Resources Commission confirmed that Stehle’s right leg was also injured, but surgeons believed they had saved it. Her sister-in-law, Kristie Stehle, reported that Jennifer remained in critical condition. Kristie Stehle released a statement emphasizing that both families did everything right but were forever changed by a series of reckless and selfish decisions.
A GoFundMe page was created to help with Jennifer Stehle’s medical costs, raising $13,094 toward a $35,000 goal. The fundraiser described Jennifer as a wife, mother, and Wake County Public School System social worker who now faces a long and challenging recovery. The page noted that the emotional and financial burden on her family, particularly her husband Justin, is immense.
The West Lake Elementary School community is mourning Carroll’s death. A separate fundraiser was established for Brooklyn Mae’s parents, Kim and Matt. Family member Sarah Hammond described Brooklyn as a light in every room with an infectious smile, loving heart, and spirit that touched everyone who knew her. Hammond noted that the parents are now facing every parent’s worst nightmare.
Local boaters expressed their shock at the incident. Craig Schnier, a boater on Harris Lake, indicated that drinking and driving on a boat represents a totally different level of danger compared to drinking and driving in a car. He described the situation as absurd and horrible, noting that boating should be about fun and family time.
Mark Macchioni, another boater, emphasized the importance of maintaining constant vigilance on the water. He stressed that boaters must always be looking out regardless of what other people are doing, especially when people are wakeboarding or engaging in other water activities.
Harris Lake, located in southeastern Chatham County approximately 30 miles southwest of Raleigh, serves as a popular summer destination for families engaging in boating, fishing, and swimming activities. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
