Lawrence Shieh, of Boston, has been indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury for the May boat crash which killed Elizabeth Dankert and injured two others.

Published on: Aug 26, 2026, 07:09:22 IST

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Lawrence Shieh, a Boston man, has been indicted in the May boat crash off Boston's Logan International Airport which claimed the life of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Dankert and injured two others.

A Suffolk County grand jury indicted Shieh who will now be arraigned on Wednesday in the Suffolk Superior Court. Here's all you need to know about Lawrence Shieh.

Who is Lawrence Shieh? 5 things to know

1. Lawrence Shieh is a 40-year-old from Boston, who has been indicted in the May boat accident.
2. Shieh has been indicted on charges including one count of involuntary manslaughter; one count of operating a boat while intoxicated, causing death; one count of using a boat without authority; two counts of operating a boat while intoxicated and causing serious bodily injury; and one count of a Logan Airport security violation as per multiple reports.
3. Shieh ‘drank a mix of alcoholic beverages with friends at the ReelHouse and several other bars in the seaport’ on the night of the accident, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said, as per reports.
4. Shieh's blood alcohol level was found to be at 0.20, or more than twice the .08 legal limit here in Massachusetts, as per Hayden.
5. Shieh was a member of Freedom Boat Club in Boston's Seaport District, where the boat was docked. However, he did not have the authorization to take the boat, and did so without permission, as per reports.

How did the Boston boat accident happen?

The boat was firstly not equipped with lights that are meant for night navigation. Hayden further said Shieh was ‘inattentive’ at the helm of the boat, ‘dancing and engaging with the three young women’ as per WCVB.

“Approximately six seconds before the crash, Shieh is captured on video with both hands off the wheel of the boat,” Hayden further said. The boat was reportedly moving at an ‘excessive speed for the area of 36 mph at the time of the crash’ as per Hayden.

The district attorney further said of Shieh, “He was intoxicated. He unlawfully took a boat out into Boston Harbor in the dead of night. He drove that boat at a reckless speed in a restricted area of the Boston Harbor. He did this with three young women aboard, placing their lives in imminent danger. His reckless actions that night ended one life and dramatically changed three others, including his own.”

The other two women were treated for non-life threatening injuries, following the boat accident.

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