- On Thursday, February 20, 2014, jurors in Hall County, Georgia, convicted Jeffrey S. Hubbard of crimes that caused the death of Kile Glover, 11. Jordan Shepp, aged 15 when the accident occurred, was severely injured. Both young men were riding an inner tube on Lake Lanier on July 6, 2012, when struck by Hubbard’s craft.
- On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, Hubbard was sentenced to four years in prison — far less than the maximum allowable sentence of more than 20-years behind bars.
Mr. Hubbard, described in early reports as a friend of the family, was indicted on February 28, 2013, by a Hall County Grand Jury and charged with:
- Homicide by vessel
- Serious Injury by Vessel
- Reckless Operation of a Vessel
- Unlawful Operation of a PWC and
- Boat Traffic Violation.
The original Department of Natural Resources Incident Report by Sgt. Burgamy stated:
“On 07/06/12, at approximately 1525 hours, a personal watercraft being operated by Jeffrey S. Hubbard ran over 2 juveniles being towed on an inner tube by a pontoon boat. Both children were life-flighted to Egleston Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, one with a serious head injury. This incident occurred in the mouth of Big Creek, Lake Lanier, Hall County.”
Following an eight-day trial and 90-minutes of deliberation, the jury found Jeffrey Hubbard guilty on all charges, including homicide by vessel.
Kile was the son of Ryan Glover and Tameka Foster. Tameka Foster was previously married to R&B performer Usher Raymond.
If any measure of good came from this tragedy, it might be Georgia’s Senate Bill 136 which lowered the legal blood-alcohol limits for those who operate watercraft or hunt in Georgia and mandates additional training for boat operators and stricter laws on use of personal flotation devices.
On April 23, 2013, Governor Nathan Deal signed SB136 — The Kile Glover Boat Education Law. Many law enforcement officials, politicians and members of the families of Kile Glover and Jake & Griffin Prince — young men who lost their lives in 2012 due to boating accidents on Lake Lanier — attended the signing of the legislation.
We extend our condolences to Kile Glover’s family and also to the family of Jake & Griffin Prince.
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