Gov. Bill Richardson’s chief of staff has been issued a citation after crashing a boat carrying the governor and others into another boat and a dock at Elephant Butte on Saturday afternoon.
That’s according to the official accident report, which was released this afternoon. You can read the 27-page report by clicking here.
The crash, which caused $10,000 in damage to another boat, was due to “inattention” and “inexperience” on the part of Richardson Chief of Staff Brian Condit, who was driving, the report states. Condit told an officer he had not been drinking, and the report does not cite alcohol as a contributing factor to the accident.
Condit was cited for “prohibited operation,” a petty misdemeanor, for “operating a vessel in a negligent manner and damaging another person’s property,” the report states. He also caused $2,000 in damage to the boat he was driving and an unknown amount of damage to the Dam Site Marina, according to the report.
Richardson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Richardson and his staff have not previously commented on the incident.
The boat Condit was driving, named “Bloody Mary,” is owned by Leon C. Fay of Rio Rancho, according to the report. In addition to Richardson, passengers on the boat Condit was driving were Leon Fay, his wife Brenda and Catherine Miller.
According to the report, Leon Fay took control of the boat from Condit just before the crash and tried to stop it, but was unsuccessful.
Condit has been chief of staff since July 2008. Before that, he was Richardson’s deputy chief of staff.