A Kentucky resident pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular homicide by intoxication and twelve counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon in connection with a boating collision on Norris Lake last July that resulted in the death of a child.
On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 62-year-old Norman Sturgill, of Grayson, Ky., pleaded guilty to the charges at the Claiborne County Courthouse. Sturgill was sentenced to serve eight years in jail at 100 percent and ordered to pay a $5,000 contribution to the Victim’s Assessment Fund. After release, Sturgill is prohibited from operating any motorized vehicle including boats as a condition of supervised probation for eight years. In addition, the boat Sturgill was operating was forfeited to the state.
Alcohol is the leading contributing factor to recreational boating deaths in Tennessee, and TWRA reminds the public to designate a sober driver and boat responsibly. In 2023, there were 23 boating fatalities and 129 Boating Under the Influence arrests. To date, there have been three boating fatalities in 2024, and TWRA officers will continue patrolling Tennessee waters to detect and apprehend impaired operators.