Pleasant Valley man charged in fatal August 2020 Iowa boat crash
Craig Verbeke and Anita Pinc
LeCLAIRE, Iowa (AP) Iowa officials have charged a Pleasant Valley man with manslaughter in a boating crash last summer on the Mississippi River that killed two people.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says in a news release Tuesday that 44-year-old James Thiel has been charged with two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, two misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, one count of reckless use of a watercraft and operation of an unregistered watercraft.
Officials say Thiel turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning. Authorities say Thiel owned and was aboard a 35-foot center-console boat that crashed into a 19-foot ski boat on Aug. 16.
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Charges filed in 2020 fatal boating accident near LeClaire
Craig Verbeke and Anita Pinc.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has filed charges against a Pleasant Valley man in connection with a fatal boat accident on the Mississippi River near LeClaire in August of 2020.
Conservation officer, Travis Graves, says 44-year-old James Theil is charged with two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter. “One for the death of Craig Verbeke, one for the death of Anita Pinc,” Graves says.
Thiel was also charged with two aggravated misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, one count of reckless use of a watercraft, and one count of operation of an unregistered watercraft. Graves says Thiel allowed a minor to drive the boat, and the minor was driving when the accident happened.
Pleasant Valley man charged in fatal Iowa boat crash
May 4, 2021
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LeCLAIRE, Iowa (AP) Iowa officials have charged a Pleasant Valley man with manslaughter after a boating crash last summer on the Mississippi River that killed two people.
James Thiel, 44, has been charged with two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, two misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, one count of reckless use of a watercraft and operation of an unregistered watercraft, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said in a news release Tuesday.
Officials said Thiel turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning.
Thiel owned and was aboard the 35-foot center-console boat that crashed into a 19-foot ski boat on Aug. 16, authorities have said. The crash killed two people aboard the smaller vessel, 52-year-old Anita Pinc and her fiancé, 61-year-old Craig Verbeke. Both were from Moline, Illinois.
Iowa DNR Update: The operator of the Triton boat was a minor in August s deadly crash
A public records request on the full details of the crash was denied Monday, April 5th. The next day, the department released by email that the operator was a minor. Author: Jonathan Ketz Updated: 4:46 AM CDT April 7, 2021
LE CLAIRE, Iowa
UPDATE 4/7: In an email sent out Tuesday, April 6th, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says they won t release the name of the operator of the Triton boat because that individual was a minor. They also say that boat was owned by the Thiel Truck Center out of Pleasant Valley.