A Miami man is facing felony charges after investigators say his 36-foot boat ran over a smaller vessel from behind in Biscayne Bay, then fled the scene, leaving a passenger with a lacerated spleen, spinal fractures and other severe injuries. Juan Carlos Romero was arrested Thursday and booked into jail on charges including leaving the scene of a boat crash causing serious bodily injury, reckless boating with serious bodily injury, and tampering with physical evidence.
According to NBC 6 South Florida, the crash happened around 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 16 in Biscayne Bay south of the Julia Tuttle Causeway. Investigators determined that Romero's 36-foot boat overtook a smaller 26-foot boat from behind at a high rate of speed and partially ramped over it, according to the arrest warrant cited by the station. Under federal Inland Navigation Rule 13, which governs Florida's waterways, any vessel passing another from behind is legally the give-way vessel and must keep clear of the boat ahead — a rule that appears to align with what investigators say happened on the bay that night.
Victim's Injuries and the Scene Investigators Found
The person aboard the smaller boat was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, per the report, suffering blood loss, stomach injuries, an injury to his pancreas, fractured ribs, bruised lungs and spinal fractures. He later underwent surgery for a lacerated spleen. Ryder Trauma Center is Miami-Dade County's only Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center verified by the American College of Surgeons, according to Jackson Health System, underscoring the severity of the injuries described in the warrant.
Investigators later found Romero's 36-foot boat docked behind a home in Miami with significant damage, the warrant states, according to the same report. The vessel's right engines were covered with trash bags and cut tape, and Romero reportedly rents the dock space where the boat was found. Covering or concealing damaged engines during an active investigation can be charged under Florida Statute § 918.13, which makes altering or concealing physical evidence a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to Online Sunshine.
Witness Accounts and the Getaway on Video
A woman who had been aboard Romero's boat confirmed to investigators that she was on board with Romero and his wife at the time of the crash, per the warrant. She told investigators the group went back to check on the occupants of the smaller boat, but said they ultimately left because people on the other vessel were yelling at them. People on the smaller boat recorded video of Romero's boat leaving the scene, according to the warrant details in the NBC 6 report.
Bond Set at $30,000 as Attorney Argues Cooperation
Romero appeared in bond court on Friday, where the judge set bond at $30,000, matching the amount the charges warranted. His attorney argued for a lower bond, telling the court that Romero was not a flight risk, was ready to cooperate with authorities, and would have surrendered had he been contacted before his arrest.
Under Florida Statute § 327.30, boat operators involved in a collision are required to stop immediately, render practicable aid to anyone injured, exchange contact and vessel information, and notify law enforcement when injuries or substantial property damage occur, according to The Florida Senate. Fleeing a collision involving serious bodily injury became a second-degree felony after Florida enacted “Lucy's Law” in July 2025, legislation passed in the wake of a fatal 2022 Biscayne Bay crash that killed 17-year-old Luciana “Lucy” Fernandez. That case, in which real estate broker George Pino later faced an added manslaughter charge, was chronicled in Hoodline's report on the updated charge and in a follow-up detailing navigation rule violations uncovered by prosecutors.
A Bay With a Troubled Recent Record
Miami-Dade County has led Florida in reportable boating accidents for two years running, logging 75 incidents in 2024 and 65 in 2025, according to county safety task force records. Statewide, Florida recorded 694 reportable boating accidents with 51 fatalities in 2025, following 685 crashes and a 10-year high of 81 fatalities in 2024, per state statistics reported by CBS News.
Biscayne Bay in particular has seen a string of serious incidents in recent years. In April, Florida Fish and Wildlife officers arrested a personal watercraft operator accused of striking a swimmer in the bay and fleeing without rendering aid, a case Hoodline covered in its report on the jet ski hit-and-run arrest. And in March 2024, a boat operator was arrested on BUI manslaughter and vessel homicide charges after his 26-foot boat struck a channel marker near the 79th Street Causeway, throwing a passenger to his death, as detailed in Hoodline's coverage of the Miramar man's manslaughter charge.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue additional charges against Romero as the investigation continues, and the results of any forensic testing on the covered engines have not been disclosed. The extent of the victim's ongoing recovery following his surgery at Ryder Trauma Center has also not been detailed publicly.
