A day of summer fun in the sun turned into a nightmare for two North Carolina families. Quinten Gregory Kight, 40, was allegedly under the influence of alcohol while boating on Harris Lake on August 2, 2025. Kight reportedly turned his head and ran the boat into three swimmers, Brooklyn Mae Carrol, her mother, Kimberly Cannon, and Jennifer Stehle. Tragically, 10-year-old Brooklyn died at the scene, and Stehle suffered an injury so serious that doctors amputated her leg.
According to ABC11, the accident took place Saturday afternoon. Kight was reportedly driving a Tige wake boat while pulling a tube behind it.
“It appeared that everybody, including Mr. Kight, were looking backwards at the person being pulled and not forwards, which contributed to where we find ourselves today. Tragically, that prop severed a leg of both of these victims,” Chatham County District Attorney Jeff Nieman told the news station.
Brooklyn died instantly, Moore County News reported. Stehle lost one leg and suffered serious injuries to the other, the news outlet reported.
Per the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office, during the course of the investigation, police say they found 39 empty alcohol containers inside the boat. Additionally, they found 50 empty alcohol containers outside the boat. Nieman told ABC11 that police attempted a sobriety test on Kight at the scene, but “determined that he was unable to follow the instructions,” he said.
Per ABC11, Kight is currently out on bond for a 2023 hit-and-run. He allegedly hit a man riding a motorcycle and fled the scene. This time, Kight will remain in jail unless he posts a $500,000 secured bond, as per a judge’s order. He faces charges of felony boating while impaired and misdemeanor boating while impaired. A judge could upgrade those charges at a later date.
On August 5, police arrested a second suspect in the crash, according to WRAL. Annemarie Flanigan, the owner of the boat Kight operated, faces a charge of felony death by impaired boating, serious injury via impaired boating, and aiding and abetting boating while impaired.
The news of Kight’s arrest came as a shock to his ex-wife, Michaela Trujillo. She said he liked to “drink a lot,” but she never expected anything like this. “I’m in shock,” Trujillo told WRAL, adding “I’m sad. I’m sick. I have a little girl that age. He has a little girl that age. I never thought this would happen.”
Both Carroll and Stehle’s loved ones created GoFundMe pages to help with expenses related to the crash.
“BB was a light in every room she entered, with an infectious smile, a loving heart, and a spirit that touched everyone who knew her. Her laughter, kindness, and energy brought so much joy to her family and friends,” Sarah Hammond shared on Brooklyn’s page.
Margaret Merrill shared a similar message in honor of Stehle. “As Jennifer begins this difficult journey, her family — especially her husband, Justin — is doing everything they can to support her, but they need our help,” she wrote. “The emotional and financial burden is immense, and any support will make a significant difference in her recovery process.”
Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson shared his sympathy in a statement obtained by ABC11. “Our community is grieving the tragic loss of a 10-year-old child and the critical injury of a woman after they were struck by a boat at Harris Lake over the weekend,” he wrote.
“This was a heartbreaking accident, but one that was preventable,” Roberson added. “Alcohol was a factor, and the decision to operate a boat while impaired had devastating consequences. We urge everyone to think twice before mixing alcohol with watercraft operation. It only takes a moment for lives to be changed forever.”
