An Ohio man has reached a plea agreement for a June 2013 boating accident on Dale Hollow Lake that resulted in the death of a passenger on his boat.
Justin Zimmer pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in Pickett County Criminal Court for the incident which claimed the life of Nicholas Trombley, also an Ohio resident. The two men were on vacation with their families.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) conducted an investigation that showed the boat, owned and operated by Zimmer, was driven into the woods where it collided with several trees.
Three of nine people on board were injured and Trombley died from the injuries sustained during the crash. Tests showed Zimmer’s blood alcohol content was 0.10% several hours after the incident occurred, indicating intoxication at the time of the accident.
As a result of his plea, Zimmer was sentenced to six years of supervised probation. In addition to probation, Zimmer will lose his boat operating operation privileges for a period of five years, have an ignition interlock device installed on his personal vehicle for a period of three years, and perform 100 hours of community service. Zimmer will also be required to participate in an annual public presentation with representatives from the TWRA regarding the dangers of boating while intoxicated.