By Dan Klepal and Tony Jones
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The boat hit by a speedboat Friday night. Six people were seriously injured. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

DAYTON, Ky. - Six people were seriously injured when their boat was struck by a speeding red and yellow cigarette boat on the Ohio River late Friday.

The 40-foot cigarette boat fled the scene.

A seventh passenger, who Dayton Police Sgt. Raleigh Barnett described as an infant, appeared to be uninjured. Barnett said two of the six injured suffered critical head injuries and others had arm and leg fractures. Blood was visible on the sides of the wrecked 21-foot boat, which had an open cockpit. It had significant damage on the stern and may have been rear-ended, Barnett said.

"Other than being knocked into the water, the child was uninjured," Barnett said. "It was amazing."

About 11:30 p.m., dispatchers sent six ambulances to Dayton, where the disabled boat with the injured people floated up to a docked excursion boat at the Queen City Riverboat landing. The disabled boat had apparently been struck in the middle of the river while floating in a no-wake zone, police said.

"There's no telling how fast" the cigarette boat was traveling, Barnett said.

The cigarette boat headed east after the crash. Some witnesses told police the speedboat stopped briefly on the Ohio side of the river at Schmidt Field, where a man jumped out to check damage before leaving.

Witnesses told police the cigarette boat went airborne after the crash, as much as five or six feet in the air.

Ambulances took the injured to St. Luke and University hospitals, where their identities and conditions were not available early today.

A helicopter was called to look for others who might be in the river, and to see if the speedboat could be found. More than 90 minutes later, the cigarette boat had not been located, and no one was spotted in the river.

Barnett said the twin-engine cigarette boat was apparently occupied by only the driver. Several police boats continued to cruise up and down the river searching.

"Everyone we could pull in is out searching for the racing boat," Barnett said.

Anyone with information should call Dayton police at (859) 261-1471.

E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com and tjones@enquirer.com