Businessman Kevin O’Leary has broken his silence on a deadly boat crash in Muskoka this past summer that led to charges being laid against his wife and another man, telling CP24 that he wants all forensic evidence released so the matter can eventually be “put to rest” for all the families.
The Aug. 24 crash on Lake Joseph claimed the lives of Gary Poltash, a 64-year-old man from Belleair Beach, Fla., and 48-year-old Uxbridge resident Susanne Brito.
In September, Linda O'Leary was charged with careless operation of a vessel under the Canada Shipping Act in connection with the crash. Richard Ruh, a 57-year-old New York resident who was operating the other boat, was also charged and faces one count of failing to exhibit navigation light under Sec. 23 of the Canada Shipping Act.
In an interview with CP24 on Tuesday afternoon, Kevin O’Leary described the crash as a “horrific accident” that has affected numerous families, including his.
“What we really need here is to get the forensic evidence completely disclosed to all the families, including mine. We all want this out,” he said.
Linda O’Leary reportedly had alcohol on breath
Court documents that were unsealed in November suggested that Linda O'Leary had alcohol on her breath following the crash and was handed a three-day driving suspension after registering an alert.
The court documents do say that O’Leary told officers that she consumed a drink of vodka following the collision and prior to being administered a breath test.
Speaking with CP24, Kevin O’Leary said that it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of case while it makes its way through the legal system. Nonetheless, he said that does “feel horribly” for all the families that lost loved ones.
“My wife, this really affects her and I feel for her - obviously I have to watch this every day - and I feel horribly for the families that lost loved ones here but let’s get it (the evidence) all out, let’s flush it with transparency,” he said.
O’Leary’s comments came ahead of an expected court appearance by his wife on March 5.
The Public Prosecution Service of Canada previously confirmed that $10,000 is the maximum penalty Linda O’Leary could face.
The family of one of the victims in the crash, Susanne Brito, has also launched a lawsuit against the O’Leary’s and the owner and operator of the other boat involved in the crash. In a statement of claim, the family alleges that both were travelling too fast and failed to exercise proper care in the operation of the vessel.
None of the allegations has been tested in court.
