Official: 2 killed in SC lake crash were drunk

LEXINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Authorities say a man and woman from Batesburg-Leesville who died after their boat crashed into a dock on Lake Murray were legally drunk.

Chief deputy Lexington County coroner Randy Martin tells The State of Columbia Tuesday that 53-year-old Timothy Jones had a blood-alcohol level of more than four times the legal limit for operating a boat. His passenger, 45-year-old Kimberly Bailey, had a BAC of more than twice the legal limit.

Jones and Bailey died Friday night when their boat crashed into a dock near Chapin. Investigators said the couple had left a friend’s house and were heading home when Jones missed the dock, which extended about 60 feet from land.

Last year, four people died on the same day in two separate boating accidents on the lake.