Jet Ski Death Lawsuit Filed After Fatal Hawaii Accident
Honolulu, HI — A jet ski death lawsuit has been filed after a fatal accident in Hawaii that left one teen dead and a 20-year-old man distraught, and two families have been devastated by the deadly mishap.
The jet ski death lawsuit follows the August 5 death of California teen Kristen Fonseca at Keehi Lagoon in Honolulu. Fonseca, 16, was operating a jet ski, as was 20-year-old Tyler Dagley, of Australia.
However, the fun outing became tragic and prompted the jet ski death lawsuit when Dagley’s watercraft crashed into Fonseca’s — the teen died of injuries sustained in the waterborne collision the following day.
Fonseca’s family, who witnessed the fatal accident that precipitated the jet ski death lawsuit, say that the girl was blindsided by Dagley’s craft. Sister Monique Sanchez explains:
“He was just speeding really fast and then just came up and just slammed right into her.”
Kristen’s stepfather Mario Canton also witnessed the collision and recounts:
“I then saw her head lunge forward, and hit the steering wheel, Kristen then, fell forward, fell back and then fell into the water.”
Before the jet ski death lawsuit, Dagley was charged with misdemeanor third-degree criminal homicide — and investigators say that the young man was operating the craft recklessly, standing up and “showing off” to impress his girlfriend. The girlfriend, 21-year-old Natasha Ryan, has also been charged after investigators say she caught the accident on film and later deleted it to cover up Dagley’s actions.
Ryan is not named in the suit brought by Fonseca’s family. Dagley, who appears in footage in a neck brace, was remorseful in court, breaking down in tears and recalling praying for Fonseca and her family in the wake of the tragic accident.
In addition to suing Dagley in the jet ski death lawsuit, the family is also suing Aloha Jet Ski Rentals for failing to properly instruct Dagley on piloting the jet ski as well as failing to intervene and prevent his allegedly reckless behavior.
