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Man Faces Criminal Charge After July 4 Crash In NC Lake

Dashiell Coleman
/
WFAE

LAKE JAMES — Authorities have charged a Henderson County a man after a July 4 personal watercraft collision on Lake James that killed another man.

News outlets report that 47-year-old Edward Muniz is charged with felony death by impaired boating. He was released Friday on $50,000 bond.

Lake James, a popular outdoor recreation site, is about 90 miles northwest of Charlotte. It's near Shortoff Mountain, which was the site of another fatal accident earlier in the week

Police say 911 calls started coming in Thursday night at about 10 p.m. 

Hsaingtak Tong, also of Henderson County, was killed in the crash on the lake. He died on scene.

Authorities say the accident between the Jet Ski-type watercraft occurred between Benfield's Landing and the new section of Lake James State Park.  

The accident remains under investigation.

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