David Raabe's Fatal Crash @ Point Pleasant Beach 2017
- 7 months ago
hrottleman David Raabe, 38, was killed and his companion in the cockpit James "J.P." Byrne of Nutley, New Jersey, was seriously injured off Point Pleasant Beach along the Jersey Shore, in Ocean County, New Jersey, on Sunday, 21 May 2017, when their powerboat "Repeat Offender" collided with another during the Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix.
The accident occurred at 12h55, on the first lap of a planned seven-lap heat. On the approach to the first turn of the race course, in the ocean off Bridge Avenue in Bay Head, the "Repeat Offender" #539 Class-5 boat driven by J.P. Byrne, crossed directly into the path of the "Smith Brothers CRC" Class-6 26-foot boat. The latter rose out of the water and its hull struck both the occupants of the other vessel. David Raabe, the owner and throttleman of "Repeat Offender", was killed almost instantly.
J.P. Byrne was taken in critical condition to nearby Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey. The "Smith Brothers CRC" boat's transom in the rear was broken on impact and the boat sank. Its driver, Peter Smith and his brother, throttleman Richard Smith, were not injured.
The newly-revived Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix returned in 2016 after many years, when it was known as the Benihana Grand Prix, during the 1970s. The race course had been shortened considerably since then, from more than 200 miles to four miles. About 40 boats participated in the weekend event, sponsored by the New Jersey Powerboat Racing Association. The fatal collision happened during the first of two races scheduled for Sunday, which was immediately stopped. The second heat was later canceled.
Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, David Raabe lived with his family in Forked River, Ocean County, New Jersey, for ten years. He was a financial advisor for AXA Equitable and also was a partner in Envision Strategics, LLC. He was survived by his wife of 15 years, Leigh; their three children, Alexis, David, Jr. and Landon; his parents, David and Debra and his three brothers, Michael, Shea and Erik.
Witnesses said the water was choppy when the crash occurred. The race, now known as the Point Pleasant Beach Offshore Grand Prix, was a fixture in the Shore town under a variety of names in the 1970s and '80s. "It was one of my childhood dreams to bring back the boat racing," said the mayor. "This is not what I expected to have happen, though."
R.I.P
The accident occurred at 12h55, on the first lap of a planned seven-lap heat. On the approach to the first turn of the race course, in the ocean off Bridge Avenue in Bay Head, the "Repeat Offender" #539 Class-5 boat driven by J.P. Byrne, crossed directly into the path of the "Smith Brothers CRC" Class-6 26-foot boat. The latter rose out of the water and its hull struck both the occupants of the other vessel. David Raabe, the owner and throttleman of "Repeat Offender", was killed almost instantly.
J.P. Byrne was taken in critical condition to nearby Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey. The "Smith Brothers CRC" boat's transom in the rear was broken on impact and the boat sank. Its driver, Peter Smith and his brother, throttleman Richard Smith, were not injured.
The newly-revived Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix returned in 2016 after many years, when it was known as the Benihana Grand Prix, during the 1970s. The race course had been shortened considerably since then, from more than 200 miles to four miles. About 40 boats participated in the weekend event, sponsored by the New Jersey Powerboat Racing Association. The fatal collision happened during the first of two races scheduled for Sunday, which was immediately stopped. The second heat was later canceled.
Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, David Raabe lived with his family in Forked River, Ocean County, New Jersey, for ten years. He was a financial advisor for AXA Equitable and also was a partner in Envision Strategics, LLC. He was survived by his wife of 15 years, Leigh; their three children, Alexis, David, Jr. and Landon; his parents, David and Debra and his three brothers, Michael, Shea and Erik.
Witnesses said the water was choppy when the crash occurred. The race, now known as the Point Pleasant Beach Offshore Grand Prix, was a fixture in the Shore town under a variety of names in the 1970s and '80s. "It was one of my childhood dreams to bring back the boat racing," said the mayor. "This is not what I expected to have happen, though."
R.I.P