MAITLAND, Fla. – A boat registered to Florida state Sen. David Simmons crashed into a dock early Tuesday on Lake Maitland, sending his 18-year-old daughter and two others to the hospital with critical injuries, officials said.
Simmons was not aboard the boat, a 22-foot SeaDoo, which he said was taken Monday night without his permission.
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Maitland police arrested a person for boating under the influence, but Simmons said his daughter was not driving the boat when it crashed. No other details about the arrest have been released.
Simmons told WKMG-TV that his daughter suffered a broken femur and underwent surgery. Officials have not released the conditions of the other two victims.
The crash was reported by a homeowner in an upscale neighborhood off Summerland Avenue who said he heard the crash just after midnight.
Maitland firefighters told News 6 that one adult and seven others, including several teens, were on the boat when it crashed.
Officials said it's likely that the boat was traveling at a high rate of speed when it crashed.
"The boat crashed into the dock, so it's mostly out of the water, and it's pretty much stuck on the back dock right now," a fire official said.
Firefighters said three people taken to the hospital, and three others refused treatment at the scene.
Firefighters said some of the victims had to be extricated from the boat after the impact with the dock.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating.
Simmons, a Republican, represents the 10th District, which covers Seminole County and parts of Volusia County. He said the boat is registered to a company that he owns and is stored at his home off Lake Maitland.