Family sues 'drunken criminal' after mother, 79, killed by boat while swimming in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - The family of a 79-year-old woman is calling for justice after a boating crash claimed the life of their beloved mother nearly a year ago.

Norma Michaels was struck and killed while swimming in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Dorset Avenue Bridge in August 2023.

On Monday, Michaels' three daughters filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the boat's driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey M. Jastrzembski.

"We want to hold the drunken criminal accountable for the precious life he took," the family's attorney said during a press conference.

Jastrzembski was charged with aggravated manslaughter in March for the deadly boating crash.

Officials say he is accused of accelerating his boat towards the docks before making an aggressive turn, causing the propeller to fatally hit the elderly woman.

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Michaels' daughters say the suspect ruined their mother's "slice of heaven," and that they won't stop until he is held accountable.

"I was robbed of the opportunity to have an ongoing relationship with my best friend," one daughter stated.

They also hope their actions will bring awareness to the harm drinking and boating can bring as Memorial Day approaches.