LAKEPORT ? After demonstrating equations with a Magic Marker in the trial Tuesday of Bismarck Dinius, a boating safety consultant told the court that Russell Perdock was traveling at speeds between 40 and 50 miles per hour on April 29, 2006 when the speedboat struck a sailboat belonging to Mark Weber.
Dinius was at the tiller of Weber”s sailboat that was struck by Perdock”s powerboat. Lake County Sheriff Capt. Perdock, was off-duty at the time of the crash. Passenger Lynn Thornton of Willows died as a result of the collision.
Richard Snyder, safety consultant and retired engineer for the company that designed the powerboat”s engine, testified that he based his estimate from velocity calculations and the speedboat”s launch over the sailboat that did not break a specific part of its engine upon landing.
Snyder has had three boats that go 60 mph and he felt comfortable driving them at that speed at night, he said.
“Today that”s not very fast,” Snyder said.
If he had a boat that would go 70 mph, he suspects he”d do it, Snyder said.
Dinius is charged with felony boating under the influence and two misdemeanor boating under the influence charges. The charges carry a three-year sentence.
Neither witness testified Tuesday about the safety of Perdock”s speed at the time of the collision.
Snyder testified that the speedboat Perdock was driving would have planed at about 20 mph, allowing the driver to see well over the bow. Coming from the right back angle that the speedboat hit the sailboat, Perdock would have been able to see the stern light if it were on, Snyder said.
“It”s extremely seeable because it”s right there in front of you,” he said.
Snyder testified that he has no expertise to tell if the sailboat”s stern light was on.
Lt. Charles Slabaugh of Sacramento Sheriff”s Department (SSD) resumed testimony Tuesday to answer questions about his investigation, which LCSO requested because the case involved its employee, Perdock.
Slabaugh mimicked the conditions of the collision in May 2006, going out on a boat about 8:55 p.m., to help determine the cause and risks involved with speed, lighting and other factors in the crash.
Although the crescent of the moon was larger during Slabaugh”s outing, visibility was low, going 25 mph, Slabaugh said.
“If it was lit, I could see it,” he said. “If it wasn”t, I couldn”t see it. I couldn”t see anything.”
Using the boats” damage as a guide, Slabaugh illustrated how the speedboat hit the back right side of the sailboat, launched up in the air knocking down the mast, hitting the cabin and landed on the other side in the water. He also described the seating area of the sailboat.
“There was quite a bit of debris including clothing, alcohol bottles and dried blood,” Slabaugh said.
The trial will resume at 9 a.m. today in the Lake County Superior Court at 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
