Passengers sue Clearwater Ferry, Jeff Knight over fatal crash

Two passengers injured aboard the Clearwater Ferry last year are suing the ferry service and Jeff Knight , a prominent Pinellas business owner who struck the commercial vessel with his private boat. One man died and 10 people were injured in the April 2025 crash. The ferry had been carrying 48 people at the time.It appears to be the first lawsuit filed by ferry passengers against the company operated by the Pinellas County Transit Authority. At least three others have sued Knight for negligence related to the crash.The latest lawsuit, filed Tuesday, alleges that Knight harmed the passengers while operating the boat “in an excessive speed for the prevailing conditions and failing to take evasive action to avoid” colliding with the ferry, according to the complaint. Knight also faces eight felony counts of leaving the scene of a boating accident involving death and/or serious bodily injury in connection with the crash. J. Kevin Hayslett, a lawyer representing Knight, declined to comment on the case when reached by phone Wednesday.The suit alleges the ferry service “breached its duty ... by operating the ferry in a dangerous manner, causing a collision with another boat.”The ferry captain, Dennis Kimerer, is not named in the suit. Knight’s lawyer has suggested the ferry didn’t have proper lighting and that its crew were distracted by dolphins.Kimerer was originally charged with violation of a navigational rule resulting in a boating accident because the ferry’s stern light was out. His charge was reduced to a noncriminal infraction , and he pleaded guilty.It is not yet clear how Kimerer’s case will affect Knight’s defense strategy.A spokesperson for the Pinellas County Transit Authority said the agency “cannot comment on ongoing claims and investigations.”Xhevahire Rexhepic and Kaudri Buca were passengers aboard the ferry on April 27, 2025, each as a “business invitee,” according to the complaint. Their lawsuit alleges the crash caused them to suffer injuries “resulting in pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish” and other harm.The passengers are suing for $50,000 in damages from Knight, his company and the ferry service.A Tampa Bay Times reporter’s attempts to reach their lawyers for comment were unsuccessful.The ferry had been carrying 46 people , plus two crew members, from Clearwater Beach when the collision was first reported at 8:43 p.m.A time-stamped video recorded by a city web camera at Coachman Park shows the boat crashing into the back of the ferry at 8:40 p.m. It then pulled away from the ferry and remained in the area as the ferry appeared to drift.About 10 minutes later, the boat began to slowly motor away from the scene.The boat was intercepted by police and towed to shore. Knight consented to a Breathalyzer test, which registered no alcohol in his system. Investigators did not draw blood to test for drugs at the time.His trial is scheduled for February after it was delayed last month.