A 40-year-old man from Vass, North Carolina, has been indicted on second-degree murder charges following a deadly boating incident that killed a 10-year-old girl and severely injured a woman at Harris Lake on August 2, 2025. Quinten Knight was operating a boat while intoxicated when he struck three swimmers, according to court documents and wildlife officials.
The incident occurred before 4:35 p.m., when Knight, driving his girlfriend’s Tiger Wake Boat while pulling a tube, collided with Brooklyn Mae Carroll, 10, and Jennifer Stehle, 41. Carroll, a fifth-grade student at West Lake Elementary School, died from her injuries. Stehle, a school social worker with the Wake County school system, sustained critical injuries and later required amputation of her left leg above the knee.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission confirmed that Knight was charged with Operating While Impaired and Death by Impaired Boating. Court documents revealed that Knight had a strong odor of alcohol and was unable to follow instructions during field sobriety testing conducted by officers after the crash.
Chatham County District Attorney Jeff Nieman disclosed that investigators found 39 empty beer containers aboard Knight’s boat following the collision, with an additional 50 empty alcohol containers discovered outside the vessel. Knight attempted to dispose of the alcohol containers after the incident, according to prosecutors. The district attorney indicated that Knight and others on the boat were looking backward toward the person being pulled on the tube rather than forward, which contributed to the accident.
Knight’s girlfriend, Annemarie Flanigan, who owned the boat, was also arrested and faces charges including aiding and abetting felony death by impaired boating and aiding and abetting felony serious injury by impaired boating. A grand jury in Chatham County returned indictments on all charges, including second-degree murder for both defendants.
The collision severed both victims’ legs, according to court testimony. Surgeons believed they saved Stehle’s right leg, though her left leg required amputation. Medical professionals airlifted Stehle to a hospital where she remains in stable condition but faces a lengthy recovery process.
Brooklyn’s parents, Kim Cannon and Matt Carroll, released a statement through their attorney expressing gratitude for community support while requesting privacy during their grieving process. The family described their daughter as filling their lives with joy and laughter during her 10 years of life. Brooklyn received a private funeral service.
Jennifer Stehle and her husband Justin acknowledged the overwhelming community support they have received. The family established plans to advocate for enhanced boating and swimming safety laws in North Carolina following the incident.
Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson emphasized that alcohol was a factor in the preventable accident. He urged the public to reconsider operating watercraft while impaired, noting that “it only takes a moment for lives to be changed forever.”
Court records indicate that Knight has pending charges from a December 2023 hit-and-run incident in Moore County, where he allegedly struck a motorcyclist and fled the scene, leaving the victim with serious leg injuries. Knight was out on bond for those charges at the time of the boating incident.
A GoFundMe campaign established for Stehle’s medical expenses has raised over $13,000 toward a $35,000 goal. The fundraising page describes Stehle as a wife, mother, and Wake County Public School System social worker facing a long and challenging recovery journey.
Harris Lake, located in southeastern Chatham County approximately 30 miles southwest of Raleigh, serves as a popular summer destination for boating, fishing, and swimming activities. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission leads the ongoing investigation with assistance from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.
Knight remains in custody on a $500,000 secured bond. The case continues to move through the court system as both families seek justice and healing following the August incident that forever altered their lives.