The Dan Towriss boat accident happened in the early hours of December 31, 2019, when the Group 1001 Insurance CEO drove a 42-foot powerboat into an unlit jetty near Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, seriously injuring two passengers. The crash produced five misdemeanor criminal charges against Towriss and a civil lawsuit seeking up to $100 million in damages. That lawsuit settled in late 2024 on undisclosed terms, with a final order of dismissal entered on February 26, 2025.1Trellis Law. Jarret Silagyi et al v. Daniel Towriss et al
What Happened That Night
Towriss was piloting a 42-foot Hydra-Sports Custom powerboat called Blue Steel after a late-night cruise that began the evening of December 30, 2019.2Orlando Sentinel. Couple Sue Boat Driver for $100 Million in Port Everglades Jetty Crash Witnesses and investigators said he missed the entrance to Port Everglades, tried to circle back, and hit the south jetty at high speed.3CBS News Miami. Boat Operator Port Everglades Under Investigation All three people on board were ejected onto the rocks.4Sun-Sentinel. Harrowing 911 Audio Reveals Blood and Chaos After Boat Slammed Into Jetty
The jetty was marked on navigational charts but unlit. Passengers later told rescuers they “just didn’t see the rocks.”4Sun-Sentinel. Harrowing 911 Audio Reveals Blood and Chaos After Boat Slammed Into Jetty The lawsuit that followed alleged the boat was moving so fast it planed over the water, no one was keeping a lookout, and Towriss may not have known how to properly use the vessel’s radar and GPS.2Orlando Sentinel. Couple Sue Boat Driver for $100 Million in Port Everglades Jetty Crash
Who Was Hurt
The two passengers most seriously injured were Jarret and Lauren Silagyi, a married couple from Fishers, Indiana. Lauren Silagyi suffered a fractured skull, a traumatic brain injury with bleeding and midline shift, a broken nose, permanent facial scarring, a tibial plateau fracture, and fractured ribs. She underwent an emergency craniotomy the night of the crash and two further surgeries in the following weeks.5Hickey Law Firm. Serious Boat Crash Leaves Two Passengers With Serious Life-Altering Injuries Jarret Silagyi lost consciousness in the crash and sustained head trauma, a complex lip laceration, a nasal fracture, and fluid around the lungs, and the complaint said he faced the prospect of permanent impairments.6GovInfo. Silagyi v. Towriss Complaint
The Criminal Charges
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated, collecting blood samples, GPS data, and surveillance video from the boat.3CBS News Miami. Boat Operator Port Everglades Under Investigation On August 19, 2020, the State Attorney’s Office filed five misdemeanor charges against Towriss, including culpable negligence and reckless operation of a vessel. Each count carried a potential penalty of up to one year in jail.7Orlando Sentinel. CEO Who Crashed Boat Into Jetty Faces Criminal Charges
Towriss was not charged with operating a vessel under the influence.8Sun-Sentinel. CEO Who Crashed Boat Into Jetty Faces Criminal Charges His defense attorney, Eric Schwartzreich, said Towriss “was not intoxicated or impaired at the time of the crash” and attributed the accident to “the dark of night and the unlit jetty.” Towriss pleaded not guilty.7Orlando Sentinel. CEO Who Crashed Boat Into Jetty Faces Criminal Charges The available records do not show a final resolution of the criminal case.
The $100 Million Lawsuit and Settlement
The Silagyis filed suit in early August 2020 in Broward County Circuit Court against Towriss and Willow Ridge Development LLC, the entity that owned the boat. Their attorney, Jack Hickey of the Miami-based Hickey Law Firm, publicly valued the injuries at up to $100 million and called the incident “beyond careless.”9The Indiana Lawyer. Fishers Couple Injured in Florida Boat Crash Sue Zionsville CEO They Say Was Driving Unsafely
The complaint alleged Towriss drank before and during the trip, specifically that he had a cocktail and part of two to three bottles of wine before boarding and another cocktail while driving, and that he violated 12 Florida statutes, including provisions on operating a vessel while intoxicated and reckless or careless operation. Towriss’s legal team categorically denied the alcohol-related allegations.10Indianapolis Business Journal. Fishers Couple Injured in Florida Boat Crash Suing Group 1001 CEO
Towriss briefly moved the case to federal court in September 2020, but a judge sent it back to state court that December after finding no diversity of citizenship among the Indiana-based parties.11Brown Sims. Silagyi v. Towriss, Order Remanding Case to State Court The case never reached trial. A notice of settlement was filed on December 28, 2024, followed by a stipulation for dismissal on February 13, 2025, and a final order of dismissal on February 26, 2025. The settlement terms are not public.1Trellis Law. Jarret Silagyi et al v. Daniel Towriss et al
Where Towriss Is Now
Towriss remains the founder and CEO of Group 1001 Insurance, an Indianapolis-area financial services company reporting roughly $81.6 billion in combined assets under management as of the end of 2025.12Delaware Life. Dan Towriss He also serves as CEO of TWG Motorsports, which oversees Andretti Global, the Cadillac Formula 1 team, Spire Motorsports, Wayne Taylor Racing, and Walkinshaw Andretti United.13Andretti Global. TWG Global Launches TWG Motorsports With Brands Across F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, Formula E and IMSA As of 2026 he also holds ownership interests in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Chelsea FC.14The Drive. Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss Interview The crash and charges do not appear to have affected his corporate positions.15NY1. Cadillac F1 to Be Managed by Global Group TWG Motorsports, Dan Towriss Named CEO of Racing Portfolio