A nine-year-old Carlsbad girl was killed and her mother injured in a boating accident on a lake in upstate New York.
Charlotte McCue, 9, her mother, and five other family members were boating around 9:30 p.m. Monday when a second boat went right over the top of them, according to Warren County Sheriff Bud York.
Their 28-foot boat was struck in what York described as a hit-and-run crash however as of late Tuesday, it was not clear if charges had been filed against the driver.
"When you have a nine-year-old little girl who comes to Lake George to enjoy the lake and she doesn't make it home. If there's any criminal element in this case, people will be charged," York said.
Sheriff's officials questioned five people who were in the second boat – a 22-foot motorboat that was found abandoned about a mile and a half from the crash site.
McCue's mother was taken to Glen Falls Hospital where she was expected to recover, officials told NBC affiliate WNYT.
The local television station posted images of the damaged boats on Twitter.
Sheriff York identified the driver of the second boat as a local resident.
It’s not clear if either boat had running lights at the time of the collision.
An Albany, New York newspaper reported that McCue and her mother were in the boat with other family members including the girl's father, grandmother and grandfather as well as two additional children. The boat was being driven by the girl's grandfather according to the TimesUnion.
A neighbor to the McCue family said the focus should now be on helping his friends cope with their loss.
"To lose a child is just unthinkable and we love those guys and we feel for them and we'll do everything we can for them," said Gary Clough.
