{"id":4962,"date":"2026-08-20T15:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T15:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4962"},"modified":"2026-08-20T15:39:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T15:39:14","slug":"usc-grad-was-killed-in-boat-crash-and-man-is-going-to-prison-sc-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4962","title":{"rendered":"USC grad was killed in boat crash and man is going to prison, SC officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Years after a woman was killed in a boat crash, the man operating the vessel is going to prison, according to the 9th Circuit Solicitor\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4961\">SC filmmaker has short film streaming on HBO Max and feature film in production<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>On Aug. 14, days before a trial was scheduled to start in Charleston, Nicholas Francesco Zuccala Jr., , the solicitor\u2019s office said in a news release.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Judge Roger Young sentenced the 43-year-old Zuccala to 10 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison \u2014 suspended upon the service of 3 years active, according to the release. Zuccala also was ordered to 5 years of probation and 500 hours of community service, the solicitor\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Zuccala is also prohibited from operating a vessel in South Carolina for 5 years, according to the solicitor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The punishment is connected to the October 2022 death of 27-year-old Macy Sweatman, according to the release.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>At about 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2022, officers with the North Charleston Police Department Marine Unit were on patrol at the Riverfront Revival Concert in the Cooper River when they received a distress call, the solicitor\u2019s office said. A vessel leaving the concert had struck the dredge vessel \u201cSavannah\u201d and multiple individuals were ejected into the water, according to the release. Recovered GPS data showed the vessel that hit the Savannah was moving at about 36-43 mph at the time of the crash, the solicitor\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Responding officers saw a twin engine 25-foot Sportsman boat \u2014 still afloat but unmanned, with music on and the engines running \u2014 while making tight uncontrolled circles, the solicitor\u2019s office said. The officers soon located the victim in the water, approximately 75 yards upriver from the scene of the collision, according to the release.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Sweatman was not breathing and appeared to have suffered head trauma, the solicitor\u2019s office said. The 2018 honors graduate of the University of South Carolina died Nov. 7, 2022, according to her obituary. Sweatman died from the injuries she suffered in the collision, the solicitor\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Sweatman, who was survived by her parents and three siblings among other family members, was remembered as \u201ca strong vibrant young woman full of love, kindness, and generosity who never met a stranger,\u201d her obituary said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4959\">Car crashed when trying to pass another vehicle and one person died, SC cops say<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>At the scene of the wreck, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources officers spoke with Zuccala, who admitted to driving the boat as well as drinking earlier in the day, according to the release. Zuccala also admitted to using cocaine in the hours before the collision, the solicitor\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>A blood sample was taken shortly after midnight and results of testing by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division showed that Zuccala\u2019s blood alcohol content at that time was .049 \u2014 more than 4 hours after the collision, according to the release. The SLED report also confirmed the presence of cocaine in his system, the solicitor\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Using blood alcohol content extrapolation formulas and analysis, the solicitor\u2019s office said that Zuccala\u2019s level would have been between .10 to .11 at the time of the crash \u2014 exceeding South Carolina\u2019s legal limit of .08.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>SCDNR also noted that Zuccala was not wearing his \u201cKill-Switch\u201d at the time of the collision \u2014 which is required under South Carolina\u2019s boating safety regulations, according to the release. Kill switches are typically lanyards that boat operators clip onto themselves that\u2019s connected to the vessel\u2019s cut-off switch, so if the operator is thrown overboard, the clip disconnects and the engine is shut off, according to Carolina Sportsman.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis tragic event should not have happened but because of the defendant\u2019s recklessness, an innocent life was lost. &#8230; It was a predictable outcome when mixing alcohol, drugs, speed, and water at night,\u201d Assistant Solicitor Hunt Russell said in the release.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Zuccala was admitted to Kirkland Reception and Evaluation Center in Columbia on Wednesday, according to prison records.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Attorney\u2019s Gregory DeLuca and Joseph Good were listed as Zuccala\u2019s lawyers, Charleston County court records show.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div>\n<h3>         BEHIND THE STORY     <\/h3>\n<p>             MORE          <\/p>\n<div>\n<h3>This is a breaking news story<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4958\">Hundreds mourn Nolan Wells at South Mississippi vigil on teen\u2019s 19th birthday<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 9th Circuit Solicitor\u2019s Office said a woman died after a boat crash in North Charleston, SC\u2019s Cooper River &amp; the driver was sentenced to 3 years in prison.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>USC grad was killed in boat crash and man is going to prison, SC officials say - 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