A 20-year-old has turned himself in to authorities and been charged in connection with a hit-and-run boating accident on West Lake Okoboji.
The accident happened just after 10:30 on Tuesday evening. A report from the Department of Natural Resources indicates a boat operated by 52-year-old Vaughn Wickham of Spirit Lake was hit from behind and Wickham was seriously injured.
Officers say they found the other boat involved in the accident Thursday, up on a hoist at a home on the north end of West Lake Okoboji and, after officers seized the boat, 20-year-old Zachery Kruse of Spirit Lake turned himself in.
According to a DNR news release, Kruse admits he was driving the boat at the time of the crash. He’s been charged with an aggravated misdemeanor for failing to give aid in a vessel, resulting in a serious injury.
State officials haven’t revealed what led to their discovery of the boat, but they’re crediting a number of “helpful citizens” for assisting in the investigation.