Boater in Deadly Biscayne Bay Hit-And-Run Crash Found, police say
Police say they have found the boat they believe was involved in a hit-and-run boat crash on Biscayne Bay that killed a father and injured his son last week in Miami, according to local media.
Police did not name the owner of the boat or say who was operating the vessel the night of the deadly crash.
The incident happened on the night of Wednesday, March 25, while the father and son were on a 7-foot dinghy in the Meloy Channel near Indian Creek and Biscayne Point in Biscayne Bay. The two were hit by another vessel, which police later identified as a 20-30-foot boat that is dark blue with black bottom paint.
The father, 55-year-old Davide Veglia, was killed. His son, 14, was taken to the hospital with a broken arm, according to reporting from NBC 6 South Florida.
Leesfield & Partners
In five decades of personal injury law, Leesfield & Partners has handled countless cases in which a person has been injured on the water. From reckless boating or jet ski incidents to parasailing tragedies and more, our skilled trial attorneys handle every case with the compassion and diligence necessary to secure the best possible outcome for every client and hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions. With offices in coastal cities like Key West and Miami, our attorneys have seen just about every manner of injury that can occur on the water.
In Monroe County, Leesfield & Partners has long been a Key West mainstay, with a presence dating back to at least the 1980s—though its roots in the community stretch even further. In the 1970s, while trying his first-ever case, the firm’s founder and managing partner, Ira Leesfield, represented a Monroe County family. Since then, the firm has maintained strong ties to the area, advocating for both injured tourists and local residents.
Through The Leesfield Family Foundation, the firm has also supported numerous local initiatives, including youth athletics. In 2025, Mr. Leesfield and Partner Justin B. Shapiro attended Key West High School’s Class Night Ceremony to present the inaugural Dexter Butler College Scholarship to a deserving basketball player. Named in honor of a beloved teacher and coach who tragically died in March 2024, the scholarship aims to carry forward Mr. Butler’s legacy of community commitment, kindness, and mentorship.
This May, as the firm prepares to host Courtroom Session V — a trial advocacy series — in Key West, Mr. Leesfield will also return to announce the 2026 scholarship recipient.
‘Reckless on the Water’
The lack of enforcement makes the water like “the wild west,” Mr. Leesfield told reporters with NBC 6 in an interview regarding this tragic incident.
“People have to know that the consequences of being reckless on the water are just like the consequences of being reckless on the roads,” he said.
In data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s annual boating accident report, officials found that 65% of operators involved in fatal accidents had no formal boater’s education in 2024. This is the year with the latest, publicly available data. There were approximately 685 incidents on the water in Florida for that year. Of these incidents, at least 81 people died and nearly 400 others were injured. The most common accident type was a collision with a fixed object.
“We offer our sincere condolences to this family as they face this unimaginable loss,” Mr. Leesfield said. “With decades of experience handling maritime and boating injury cases, we know how devastating and preventable tragedies like this can be. No family should have to endure the consequences of a reckless hit-and-run on the water.
Ongoing Boating Matters
Mr. Shapiro and Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a water tubing accident.
Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane are representing a young girl who was enrolled in a South Florida summer camp when her leg was sliced by a boat propeller.
Leesfield & Partners is also representing those affected by the horrific sailboat-barge crash in Miami on July 28, including 7-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, who fought to survive.
The firm is also representing the family of 13-year-old Erin Ko, one of the girls who tragically died in the sailboat-barge crash. That case is being handled by Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II.
“My heart goes out to the families of those involved in this most tragic incident,” Mr. Shapiro said. “Very few details have been shared with the public, and it is too early to cast blame on any particular individual or entity. Regardless, it is absolutely clear this is an incident that cannot happen in the absence of negligence, incompetence, or both.”
Previous Cases
Previously, the firm secured a substantial settlement in a case involving a minor who lost a leg while not being supervised on a vessel.
The firm previously handled the case of a family whose young son was snorkeling when he was hit and killed by a passing boater. The boater in that case was also a minor who should never have been given permission to operate the vessel without supervision. Not only did this minor not stop, but he also attempted to cover up evidence and lied to the police when questioned.
Neighbors later testified that this minor regularly operated the boat in a reckless manner.
The firm represented the family of a young woman, 20, who tragically died when the vessel she was on crashed into a concrete dock. The firm secured over $1.3 million for the family when it was revealed that the boat operator had been drinking and speeding the night of the crash.
In a jet ski and boat crash, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $935,750 for their client.
In a boat case involving a foreign resort, the firm secured an $800,000 recovery for the injured client.
Another boating accident involving a negligent operator resulted in a $500,000 recovery.
In addition to boating accident litigation, Leesfield & Partners has represented the victims of various water-related accidents, including drownings, jet ski crashes, parasailing, and other recreational activities.
The firm represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a boat tour at the Dry Tortugas National Park. The company’s tour guides instructed the man where he should go to snorkel; within minutes, his body was found unresponsive.
The firm secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Mr. Pimentel represented the family of a young man and father-to-be who was lobster diving when he was killed by a law enforcement officer who negligently failed to adhere to divers-down flag laws.