An Atlantic City man has been indicted for a drunken boating incident that killed a 70-year-old woman, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday.
A grand jury on Tuesday indicted Jeffrey Jastrzembski on a charge of first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Norma Michaels. She was swimming near a dock on the Intercoastal Waterway in Atlantic City when she was fatally struck by Jastrzembski’s boat on Aug. 12, 2023.
Jastrzembski “accelerated” the boat near the Albany Avenue Bridge and was traveling at a “high-rate of speed in the direction of the docks” in the moments before the deadly crash, according to the prosecutor’s office. He then made an “aggressive left turn,” which caused the boat’s propeller to slam into Michaels. She was described in her obituary as “a fierce matriarch, self-made businesswoman, and beloved member of her community.”
A subsequent investigation revealed Jastrzembski had a blood alcohol level between .19% and .23% at the time of the incident. He was arrested in January.
Even without a fatality, drunken boating on New Jersey’s waterways is a punishable act. A first-time offender with a BAC from 0.08% to 0.10% can face a year-long boating license suspension and the loss of vehicle driving privileges for three months, according to the Asbury Park Press. A boater with a higher BAC could meanwhile lose their right to drive a car for up to a year. In both cases, fines and jail time are possible.
