Rockville man charged with operating boat while intoxicated

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Rockville man charged with operating boat while intoxicated

by Nathan Carrick | Staff Writer

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The Maryland Natural Resources Police last week charged a Rockville man with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol after his boat crashed into the Route 90 Bridge in the Assawoman Bay near Ocean City on July 6.

Scott H. Shepard, 32, of the 600 block of Grand Champion Drive in King Farm, and nine other passengers were ejected from Shepard’s 21-foot fiberglass ski boat around 1 a.m. when it struck a bridge abutment, Natural Resources Police reported.

The Ocean City Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard and Natural Resources Police responded to the scene in heavy fog conditions, but several Ocean City firefighters who arrived in personal boats pulled the victims from the bay, Natural Resources Police officials said.

Shepard was also charged July 8 with operating a vessel while impaired by alcohol, operating a vessel while impaired by drugs and⁄or combination of drugs and alcohol, operating a vessel in a reckless or dangerous manner, negligent operation of a vessel, failure to maintain a proper lookout, and operating a vessel at unsafe speed for conditions, according to Natural Resources Police.

Seven passengers were taken to medical facilities in Salisbury and Berlin for treatment. Shepard and two others were treated at the scene, police reported.

Michael Levy, a spokesman for the Ocean City Police Department, and Natural Resources Police said the bridge was closed to traffic after the crash while State Highway Administration officials inspected the structure and determined there was no damage.

According to the Maryland Judiciary Case Search online database, Shepard was arrested and pleaded guilty in March 2007 to driving while impaired by alcohol and exceeding the posted speed limit. He was sentenced to one year probation and a $500 fine in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Several attempts to contact Shepard by phone were unsuccessful. A court date of Sept. 26 has been scheduled for him in Worcester County District Court.