The wife of Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary has been charged over a boating accident that left two people dead in Ontario, Canada on August 24.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged Linda O’Leary with ‘careless operation of a vessel’ on Tuesday after it was revealed that she was driving the boat that crashed into another during an outing on Lake Joseph.
The driver of the second boat – New York native Richard Ruh – has been charged for driving without navigation lights.
It was 11.30pm and dark on the lake when the two boats collided. Two people on Ruh’s boat were killed in the crash.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged Linda O’Leary (left) with ‘careless operation of a vessel’ on Tuesda. She is pictured with her Shark Tank star husband Kevin
The O’Leary’s vessel is pictured
Mother-of-three Suzana Brito, 48, from Ontario, was on a ventilator and suffered profound brain damage in Saturday night’s accident, but later died from her injuries on Monday.
She was on the same boat as 64-year-old Gary Poltash, from Florida, who died when O’Leary’s smaller vessel crashed into theirs. Poltash, who was at the bow of the larger boat, was struck in the head and died instantly.
Kevin O’Leary, 65, told TMZ that he was a passenger on his boat driven by his wife and claimed the other craft didn’t have its lights on when they collided.
Gary Poltash (64) and Suzana Brito, 48 (right) died in a boating accident involving Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary and his wife Linda in Ontario, Canada
Kevin O’Leary’s wife Linda was driving the boat with Kevin in the passenger seat when their boat struck a smaller vessel, whose passengers were Gary Poltash and Suzana Brito
Gary Poltash, a chartered accountant, grew up in California but retired to Belleair Beach in Florida about three years ago. He is survived by his adult son and daughter.
Brito, 48, who was from Uxbridge, Ontario, died in hospital Monday, having been kept on life support after the accident so that her organs could be harvested.
Holly Canivec, a lifelong friend, claimed that the gesture of organ donation is typical of Brito. She told the Toronto Sun that Canivec was ‘beautiful inside and out.’
She added: ‘She was an amazing mother, and her kids were her life. It sounds like a cliche, but nobody would ever have anything negative to say about her. ‘Many, many people have been devastated by this.’
Suzana Brito, 48, who was from Uxbridge, Ontario, died in hospita having been kept on life support after the accident so that her organs could be harvested
According to representatives for O’Leary, the reality star’s vessel was being driven by his wife, and a third woman was also on board with them.
According to the source from the larger boat, there were eight passengers on board.
A source connected to the owner of the larger boat claimed that O’Leary’s boat fled the scene after the collision, but a representative for the Shark Tank fixture said that it was the other boat that left the scene.
Kevin released a short statement trying to clear up the matter in the days after the crash.
‘Late Saturday night I was a passenger in a boat that had a tragic collision with another craft that had no navigation lights on and then fled the scene of the accident,’ Kevin wrote in a statement. ‘I am fully cooperating with authorities.’
‘Out of respect for the families who have lost loved ones and to fully support the ongoing investigation, I feel it is inappropriate to make further comments at this time. My thoughts are with all the families affected.’
Opening up: ‘Late Saturday night I was a passenger in a boat that had a tragic collision with another craft that had no navigation lights on and then fled the scene of the accident,’ Kevin wrote in a statement. ‘I am fully cooperating with authorities.’
Linda often posts photos enjoying Lake Joseph, including this snap of her driving the boat while a young woman wakeboards behind her
Conflicting statements: A source connected to the owner of the larger boat said Kevin’s boat fled the scene, but he claimed it was the larger boat that actually left after the crash
Lake life: The reality star has frequently posted about his love of boating and his house on the water, including this photo taken last month
O’Leary’s representative went on to say that his wife was administered a DUI test after the accident and passed it.
They also claimed that the third person in their boat was injured in the collision and received stitches at the hospital before being released.
Kevin’s boat was reportedly towed to the marina on Monday and seized for forensic testing by police.
Multiple sources familiar with the incident pointed to the potential absence of navigation lights as a crucial factor in determining fault for the crash.
O’Leary and his wife share a lake house near the site of the accident.
He shared a photo of the area to Instagram in July showing the tree line at the edge of the water.
‘I call this the “Wedge” it’s a natural phenomenon of nature located where our lake house home is situated! Just beautiful!’
Kevin O’Leary makes first TV appearance since fatal boat crash but mentions nothing of the incident
It was business as usual for Kevin O’Leary on Tuesday night as he appeared on TV less than 72 hours after he was aboard a vessel driven by his wife which crashed into another boat killing two.
The Shark Tank investor appeared on CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell’ to voice his opposition to potential interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve in September.
‘I would prefer to have powder be dry’, O’Leary said during a lengthy segment, which avoided all mention of the deaths of Gary Poltash, or Suzana Brito, who died after being taken off life-support just hours earlier.
O’Leary, who also chairs O’Shares ETFs, went on to discuss positive cash flow of private companies in the US and told the network’s panel, ‘I’ve never seen a stronger economy domestically right now.’
It was business as usual for Kevin O’Leary on Tuesday night as he appeared on TV less than 72 hours after he was aboard a vessel driven by his wife which crashed into a larger boat and killed two people.
Irrespective of an on-going trade war between President Trump and China, the 65-year-old believes the US economy is on the rise.
‘The reason the market is so resilient, and this is just a personal thesis, is there’s probably going to be, in the next three or four years, a bilateral U.S.-China trade deal,’ O’Leary explained. ‘I’m not saying it’s going to happen tomorrow. It’s going to take a while but it is so valuable.’
A number of Wall Street strategists have warned that perpetuating the trade war with China elevates the likelihood of a global recession, however O’Leary disagreed.
The Shark Tank investor appeared on CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell’ to voice his opposition to potential interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve in September. ‘I would prefer to have powder be dry’, O’Leary said during a lengthy segment, which avoided all mention of the deaths of Gary Poltash, or Suzana Brito, who died after being taken off life-support just hours earlier
‘I think they look at history and say we’re so long in the cycle and we haven’t seen any hit at all. I would caution everyone if you really want to look at indicators that are very early, look at the [spreads] on junk debt. You don’t see any of that right now.’
Junk debts refers to high-yield bonds that are at a much higher risk of defaulting.
He also voiced optimism regarding equities, saying there’s potential to get ‘a 2.6% yield on equities and have some growth potential’ if the current market holds.
‘We’re still in that zone,’ he said. ‘We’re there still there. It doesn’t change.’