1 Dead, Several Injured In Boat Collision Near Discovery Bay

CONTRA COSTA AND SAN JOAQUIN COUNTIES, CA — San Joaquin County Sheriff's investigators are still trying to find out what led to a collision of two boats Saturday night just east of the Contra Costa-San Joaquin county line that left a Discovery Bay woman dead and several people on the two boats injured.

The two boats collided just after 7 p.m. Saturday near Ski Beach, along the Middle River four miles east of Discovery Bay.

Kelly Blake, 24, of Discovery Bay suffered fatal injuries in the collision, said San Joaquin County Sheriff's Deputy Angela Lopez. Five other people on that boat were injured, and taken to hospitals in San Joaquin County, Lopez said.

The accident was initially reported as a hit-and-run, with the second boat having left the scene before sheriff's deputies arrived. But Lopez said that boat had made contact with the sheriff's office shortly after the accident to report injured parties. Lopez did not have information Sunday as to how many people on the other boat were injured.

It wasn't known Sunday what caused the accident. "We're trying to look at any possibility as to why this happened," Lopez said. Speed, alcohol, drugs and twilight visibility issues are all being evaluated, she said.

Saturday's fatal collision near Ski Beach happened not far from where, on July 5, a father and daughter died of carbon monoxide poisoning on a houseboat.

— Bay City News Service