S.C. DNR charges Citadel cadet in fatal boating crash with manslaughter

Nearly weeks after a deadly boat crash in Mount Pleasant that killed a Citadel cadet, state investigators have charged the boat’s driver with manslaughter, alleging overcrowding and excessive speed led to the collision. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources charged 21-year-old Edward Tavel III on Tuesday with manslaughter in connection with the April crash at a dock off King Street in the Old Village area of Mount Pleasant. Tavel was out of jail Tuesday night and remains enrolled at The Citadel. The victim, 19-year-old Evan Greenleigh, also a Citadel cadet, died in the crash. Multiple groups of friends had gathered on Shem Creek for a day on the water, and the final trip in Tavel’s boat ended when it struck a private dock, investigators said. SCDNR alleges there were too many people on board and that excessive speed contributed to Tavel not seeing the dock, leading to the crash. READ MORE | Man charged in fatal boat crash that killed Citadel cadet In a 911 call, a caller said, “There’s no pulse.” Another portion of the call included the statement, “Is anyone around to help? No everyone is fu**ing drunk.” SCDNR reported it tested Tavel’s blood and found no trace of alcohol in his system. According to the report, witnesses said everyone in the group was drinking before the crash, including Tavel, who told investigators he had “3 beers over the course of the day.” His blood test after the crash was negative for alcohol. Former Attorney General Charlie Condon claimed that in his involvement in similar cases, alcohol is usually a factor. “ I don't know if it comes to mind any you know, non-mancillary cases of this nature without alcohol and or drugs being proven.” Condon also said investigators are “going under this theory of criminal negligence, not having evidence of impairment through blood alcohol.” Greenleigh’s father, David Greenleigh, said the loss of his son and the charges have been painful, and described the relationship between the two cadets. “They brought the best out of each other,” he said. “Wherever my son is, I don't know where he is, but wherever he is, he's gotta be so hurt by this. He's gotta be so angry.” READ MORE | Mount Pleasant mayor renews Shem Creek safety push David Greenleigh said Tavel and his son were best friends at The Citadel. He recalled a conversation with Tavel after the crash: “When I spoke to him through tears, he said, you know, what can I do for you, sir? And I said, you just have to be the best Edward Tavel you can ever be and you just carry Evans light.” Greenleigh wants to prevent another family from experiencing a similar loss. “How do you prevent this from happening in the next person? And it's not by going after Edward Tavel. I love that young man,” he said. According to the investigative report, the boat registered to Tavel was a 15-foot Key West designed for four people, but had seven on board. Tavel’s next hearing is scheduled for July.