By Associated Press - Tuesday, November 1, 2016

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - A Martinsville man has been charged in a boating crash on Smith Mountain Lake that killed a 17-year-old girl.

Media outlets report that 20-year-old Drewry Woodson Hall faces several charges, including boating in a reckless or intoxicated manner, in connection with the July 3 crash.

The charges stem from the death of Gabby Ayers, who was killed after the personal watercraft she was a passenger on collided with a boat operated by Hall. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries officials have said Hall and his passenger helped pull Ayers and a friend she was riding with to shore.



Hall’s attorney, Thomas Cullen, said in a statement Tuesday that they are disappointed in the decision to file a reckless operation charge. He said alcohol played no role in the crash.

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