EDGARTOWN, MASS. (WHDH) - A man was arrested on Martha’s Vineyard after he allegedly crashed a boat onto Chappaquiddick Island while he was intoxicated Friday, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Riley Blizard, 32, of Cotuit, was arrested after failing field sobriety tests after the crash on the beach, police said. At around 9:40 p.m. Friday, police responded to a report of a 43-foot boat stranded on the sand.
A state trooper and Edgartown officers approached the boat and saw two men who were on the vessel when it crashed, police said. The men said that they made a navigational error, which caused the boat to run aground, according to police.
The trooper “immediately recognized signs of impairment” in Blizard, the driver of the boat, and took him over to Chappaquiddick Road for some tests, police said.
Officers determined he was under the influence of alcohol and took him into custody, according to police. Blizard was charged with operating a boat under the influence of liquor and negligent operation of a boat.
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