More charges filed in July fatal boat accident

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Additional charges were filed last week against a Poplar Bluff woman in connection with a boating accident on Current River that left two people dead and three others injured.

Radeena Proffer, 27, of Poplar Bluff originally was charged with the Class B felony of first-degree involuntary manslaughter following the July 5 accident.

Ripley County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Miller filed an amended complaint with the court Wednesday charging Proffer with two Class C felonies of involuntary manslaughter with a vessel, three Class D felonies of second-degree assault with a vessel and the Class C felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Proffer is to appear at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday before Associate Circuit Judge Thomas D. Swindle for a preliminary hearing on the charges.

The complaint on file with the court alleges Proffer, "while under the influence of alcohol," caused the deaths of Josh M. Burson by colliding with a vessel in which he was an occupant and of Jerry T. Mote, who was an occupant in her vessel, "while operating a vessel with criminal negligence in that (she) failed to keep a proper lookout ... "

The complaint further alleges she caused physical injury to Bradley J. Lafferty and Michelle Lafferty, both of whom were occupants in her vessel, when it collided with another vehicle in which C. Michael D. Preslar, who also was injured, was occupant "while operating a vessel with criminal negligence in that (she) failed to keep a proper lookout ... "

The complaint also alleges Proffer "knowingly acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the life and body of Ashtyn L. Proffer," by operating a vessel in which the 2-year-old was an occupant "while under the influence of alcohol ... "

The charges stem from a two-boat collision, which occurred at about 3:30 p.m. July 5 near Worley's Rock, located a couple of miles above Doniphan that left Burson, 25, and Mote, 11, both of Poplar Bluff, dead.

Proffer was operating a 2005 Blazer utility boat downstream, while at the same time, Chad Mikel, 26, of Poplar Bluff was operating a 2003 Blazer utility boat upstream.

According to earlier reports, there was a bend in the river and the boat operators attempted to avoid each other, but still collided. Proffer's boat reportedly struck the Mikel boat port side.

Burson, who was a passenger in Mikel's boat, was ejected and was found in the water at the crash site. He died of massive internal chest and abdominal trauma.

Jerry, who was thrown from Proffer's boat, was found at about 12:20 p.m. July 6 about one and one-half miles downstream from Worley's Rock. His cause of death was drowning.

Jerry's mother, Michelle Lafferty, 32, of Poplar Bluff, was seriously injured in the collision, while her husband, Bradley Lafferty, suffered minor injuries, as did Preslar.

While speaking with Proffer at the scene, Missouri State Water Patrol Cpl. Jeff Johnson smelled what he described in his probable cause affidavit as a "strong odor of intoxicants being omitted from her person (breath). I also noticed Mrs. Proffer had glassy eyes and dilated pupils.

"I asked Mrs. Proffer if she had been drinking alcohol. (She) told me she had drank some beers earlier in the day."

When Johnson asked how long ago Proffer had drunk the beers, he said, he was told it had been four hours earlier, "prior to coming to the river."

"Mrs. Proffer told me she had not had any alcohol to drink while on the river," Johnson said. She also told Johnson she had not had anything to drink since the accident.

Johnson said he asked Proffer to submit to a series of field-sobriety tests, including a preliminary breath test.

"Both tests indicated Mrs. Proffer was in an intoxicated condition," he said.

At that point, Johnson said, he arrested Proffer and told her of her rights.

Johnson said Proffer was taken to the Doniphan Police Department, where she reportedly registered a blood-alcohol content of .123 percent on a breath test.

"(She) told officer (Logan) Monahan she had drank three Miller Lite (12-ounce cans) beers while at her cabin on the Current River," Johnson said.

Johnson said he also interviewed Bradley Lafferty, who was a passenger in Proffer's boat.

"(He) told me Mrs. Proffer had been operating in a careless manner just prior to the collision, and he had observed her drinking what he believed to be a mixed-alcohol drink from a water bottle," Johnson explained. "(He) said the liquid in the water bottle was brown in color."

When asked what he meant by "careless manner," Bradley Lafferty responded by saying "she had 'jumped' a small gravel bar earlier in the afternoon."