3 killed, 3 injured in boat crash on Smith Lake during Major League Fishing tournament

FORECAST GUY. ALL RIGHT. JASON. WELL, A PROFESSIONAL ANGLER COMPETITION ENDS IN TRAGEDY AFTER THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN AN EARLY MORNING BOAT CRASH. STATE TROOPERS TELL US THE CRASH HAPPENED JUST AFTER 7:00 THIS MORNING ON SMITH LAKE, JUST 30 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF FOR THE SECOND DAY OF THE TACKLE WAREHOUSE INVITATIONAL. ��13’S AARON LEWELLYN HAS BEEN WORKING ALL DAY TO GET US UPDATES. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US, AARON? YEAH, GUY. THE ALABAMA LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY JUST ANNOUNCED THE NAMES OF THE OTHER TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED IN THAT CRASH. THAT BOAT CRASH THIS MORNING, AND THEY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS JOHN CLARK FROM COLEMAN AND JEFFREY LITTLE FROM MISSISSIPPI. NOW, WE KNOW THAT ALEIA TOLD US THAT THEY WERE KILLED WHEN A BOAT CRASHED INTO THE BOAT THAT THEY WERE ON, AND THEY WERE THROWN OVERBOARD AND DROWNED. NOW, THE CRASH HAPPENED AROUND SEVEN THIS MORNING. WE’RE TOLD JOEY BROOME WAS ALSO ON THE BOAT AND DIED AT THE SCENE. LIEUTENANT JEREMY BURKETT CONFIRMS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WERE HURT IN THE ACCIDENT AS WELL. BUT THAT NUMBER RIGHT NOW IS UNCLEAR. NOW, WE TALKED TO ONE MAN WHO TOLD US THAT THERE WAS A HUGE FIRST RESPONDER SCENE OUT HERE ON THE LAKE WHEN THE CRASH FIRST HAPPENED, AND HE SAID THAT HE SAW AT LEAST 14 BOATS AND A HELICOPTER SEARCHING THE AREA WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES HELPING OUT. NOW, ANOTHER MAN I TALKED TO WITH THE ALABAMA BASS COUNCIL SAYS HE FEELS SPEED COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. AND HE SAYS MAYBE IT’S TIME TO MAKE SOME CHANGES BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE LOSES THEIR LIFE. A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT THE GUY THAT’S IN THE BASS BOAT. IT’S SOMEBODY NOT PAYING ATTENTION OR NOT OBEYING THE RULES CORRECTLY. BUT SOMETIMES IT IS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T SAY THAT SPEED DOESN’T ATTRIBUTE TO IT, BECAUSE OF COURSE, IF YOU’RE DOING 30 INSTEAD OF 70, YES, THAT’S GOING TO HELP. BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MAYBE IT IS TIME TO LOOK AT SPEEDS. NOW, THE THIRD DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT WAS CANCELED. THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TOMORROW. BUT AGAIN, IT IS CANCELED BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE OUT HERE INVESTIGATING AGAIN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT LED UP TO THE THREE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR LIVES OUT HERE ON SMITH LAKE. AND ALAN JOHNSON SAYS THAT THAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO BY H█ONORING THEIR LIVES.

Three men were killed in a boating accident on Lewis Smith Lake Wednesday morning, according to the Cullman County coroner. Three other people were injured.Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona, was killed just after 7 a.m. when the Center Console vessel he was on was struck by a Nitro Bass Boat, according to ALEA. The accident happened near the Miller Flats area of the lake.Broom was a council member in the town of Snead.“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of council member, Joey Broom. Please keep the Broom family & the Town of Snead in your prayers,�� the town posted on social media Wednesday evening.John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Miss., both of whom were on board the same Center Console vessel as Broom, were thrown into the water during the crash and drowned.Their bodies have since been recovered.Two other men on board the Center Console vessel, Gary W. Holcomb, 51, of Cullman and Luke H. Morgan, 30, of Albertville were injured in the crash and transported to UAB Hospital.Major League Fisherman Flint Davis, 22, of Leesburg, Ga, who was the operator of the Nitro Bass Boat, was also injured and transported to Cullman Regional Hospital.“You’re going out and you’re enjoying a day of fishing and all of a sudden your life’s taken, or tragedy strikes, and that sucks,�� Allen Johnson, with the Alabama Bass Counsel, said. “We have so many people on the water, and this was a freak accident. It was one of those things that could happen to absolutely anybody fishing.�� MLF issued the following statement, “Out of respect for those involved, and to ensure the accuracy of all information, no further details will be released at this time. MLF is working closely with law enforcement and emergency officials. Additional updates will be provided as they are confirmed by the appropriate authorities.“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest concern are with everyone affected by this tragic incident.�� The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol is investigating the crash.This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the �� 13 app. You can download it here.

CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. —

Three men were killed in a boating accident on Lewis Smith Lake Wednesday morning, according to the Cullman County coroner. Three other people were injured.

Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona, was killed just after 7 a.m. when the Center Console vessel he was on was struck by a Nitro Bass Boat, according to ALEA. The accident happened near the Miller Flats area of the lake.

Broom was a council member in the town of Snead.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of council member, Joey Broom. Please keep the Broom family & the Town of Snead in your prayers,�� the town posted on social media Wednesday evening.

John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Miss., both of whom were on board the same Center Console vessel as Broom, were thrown into the water during the crash and drowned.

Their bodies have since been recovered.

Two other men on board the Center Console vessel, Gary W. Holcomb, 51, of Cullman and Luke H. Morgan, 30, of Albertville were injured in the crash and transported to UAB Hospital.

Major League Fisherman Flint Davis, 22, of Leesburg, Ga, who was the operator of the Nitro Bass Boat, was also injured and transported to Cullman Regional Hospital.

“You’re going out and you’re enjoying a day of fishing and all of a sudden your life’s taken, or tragedy strikes, and that sucks,�� Allen Johnson, with the Alabama Bass Counsel, said. “We have so many people on the water, and this was a freak accident. It was one of those things that could happen to absolutely anybody fishing.��

MLF issued the following statement, “Out of respect for those involved, and to ensure the accuracy of all information, no further details will be released at this time. MLF is working closely with law enforcement and emergency officials. Additional updates will be provided as they are confirmed by the appropriate authorities.

“Our thoughts, prayers and deepest concern are with everyone affected by this tragic incident.��

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol is investigating the crash.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the �� 13 app. You can download it here.

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3 killed, 3 injured in boat crash on Smith Lake during Major League Fishing tournament

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