The body of 30-year old Mark Lennon, the best man in a wedding party that was part of a horrific boat crash on the Hudson on Saturday, has been found in the water.
The accident–which occurred when the group’s speedboat hit a construction barge–also took the life of bride-to-be Lindsay Stewart, who was thrown overboard. The groom-to-be, 35-year old Brian Bond, has been hospitalized with critical injuries and is due to go into surgery today. The couple weren’t set to get married until August, but were out on the river with friends to celebrate the upcoming event. The man driving the boat, 35-year old Jojo K. John, has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and assault as police believe he was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
‘‘I don’t think you can put words to what we have to tell these families,’’ Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco said after Lennon’s body was found Sunday morning.
The barge–which holds equipment for construction crews working on the Tappan Zee–was reportedly equipped with lighting at the time of the accident, but more lights have been added over the weekend. Officials say they are conducting an investigation into whether or not the lighting was a factor in the accident.
The Tappan Zee was the scene of another tragic accident last week, when a 69-year old man drove the wrong way on the bridge and hit another car hit on, killing the passenger inside. The wreck caused a pileup on the bridge in which several others were injured.