OLYMPIA, Wash. — The suspect accused of running over kayaks in a speed boat last month appeared in court Monday.
The suspect has not yet been charged but was arrested for hit-and-run. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 3.
The incident happened Aug. 3 in the South Sound near Hope Island. The father and son said they tried to get the driver's attention when they saw the boat speeding toward them.
Phillip Hill and his son, Anthony, jumped in the water to avoid getting hit and the driver left the scene. Both men escaped injury but told KING 5 they were lucky they survived.
They told police the boater did not slow down or return to the scene after the collision "despite their calling and obvious signs of distress," according to court documents.
The driver was arrested Friday. A spokesperson for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said eyewitnesses, including the Hills, helped detectives identify him.
The boat driver told police he was working on a company boat at the time of the incident. He said he was looking at his phone when he hit the kayaks, according to probable cause documents.
The driver told police he looked back and didn't see anyone in the water.