Victims’ families sue boat’s driver, owner in fatal Harris Lake accident
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- Plaintiffs sue eight defendants, accusing driver of gross negligence and that he had a .17 BAC.
- Lawsuit claims boat carried 80-100 alcohol cans and passengers failed to intervene.
- Plaintiffs seek $25,000 from each defendant plus punitive damages in court filing.
The families of Brooklyn Mae Carroll and Jennifer Stehle allege that the boat driver charged with killing Brooklyn and injuring Stehle had a blood alcohol level of 0.17, according to two lawsuits filed Wednesday against him and seven passengers on the boat.
Brooklyn, 10, was killed and Stehle was seriously injured on Aug. 2 after a boat hit them while they were swimming in Harris Lake. Quinten Kight, 40, and Annemarie Flanigan, 56, the owner of the boat he drove, were charged with second-degree murder and felony death by impaired boating The News & Observer reported.
Kimberly Cannon and Matthew Carroll, Brooklyn’s parents, filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court against Kight, Flanagan and six other defendants who were allegedly on Kight’s boat between noon and 1 p.m. that day.
Stehle and Justin Stehle, Jennifer’s husband, also filed a lawsuit against the same defendants.
The News & Observer left messages for both suspects’ lawyers Wednesday evening but has not heard back yet.
What the lawsuits say
Kight and Flanagan had at least 80 to 100 cans of alcohol on the boat, including White Claws, Topo Chicos and Vizzies, the lawsuits allege. Kight allegedly started drinking as the boat went to water and kept drinking as he drove the boat, according to the lawsuits.
None of the defendants on board told Kight to stop drinking or driving the boat, the lawsuits allege. Some allegedly started drinking with him, the lawsuits say.
Kight was going at a high speed when he started heading for Brooklyn and Jennifer Stehle, the lawsuits allege. Kight allegedly did not change course, and no one on the boat was looking in the direction the boat was heading, the lawsuits say.
As Kight allegedly ran into Brooklyn and Stehle, one defendant heard a “weird noise” and looked to see Brooklyn and Jennifer Stehle injured and floating in the water, the lawsuits allege. Kight then allegedly drove 150 yards away and told everyone on the boat to “toss everything overboard,” referring to the alcohol, the lawsuits say. Several tossed cans into the lake, the lawsuits say.
More than five hours after the incident, Kight’s blood alcohol level was 0.17, two times above the legal limit, according to a blood sample police took from him, the lawsuits allege.
Cannon and Carroll are seeking $25,000 from each of the eight defendants in addition to separate punitive damages, according to their lawsuit.
Jennifer and Justin Stehle are each seeking $25,000 from each defendant, according to their lawsuit. Justin is seeking damages for loss of consortium because he has “been deprived of his wife’s services, support, and assistance in their household and family relationships” due to Jennifer’s injuries — including an above-the-knee amputation of her left leg and disabling injuries to her right leg.
Kight faces four additional charges related to injuring Stehle and operating a boat recklessly and while impaired, The News & Observer previously reported.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 6:57 PM.
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