Pitcher owned boat in fatal crash

Mami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez owned the boat that crashed into a jetty near Miami Beach, killing him and two other men, officials said.

But who was piloting the 32-foot SeeVee center console has not been determined, said a statement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is leading the crash investigation.

Although the boat was discovered at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, the exact time of the crash is not yet known, said the statement, from commission spokesman Rob Klepper.

The boat was overturned on the rocks of the north jetty at Government Cut, just south of Miami Beach. The three men were found dead at the scene, officials said.

Fernandez, 24, was a star pitcher for the Miami Marlins and was one of the game’s most exciting and charismatic players.

Although speed was thought to be a factor, Klepper said the speed at which the boat was traveling wasn’t yet known. Also undetermined was where the men were going — although it appeared the boat had been traveling south.

“Those are all questions hopefully our investigators will be able to answer after the complete investigation,” Klepper said.

Meanwhile, it could take weeks or months before blood tests are completed on the bodies of Fernandez and two companions who died the incident.

The two other men were identified Monday as Emilio Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25. Neither was a professional athlete.

Darren Caprara, director of operations for the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office, said that autopsies were being done on the three bodies and that the medical examiner’s office was awaiting results of toxicology tests.

“It’s a battery of tests that could take days, that could even extend to months, depending on what they find in the blood,” Caprara said.

Caprara said the cause of death wasn’t yet determined but that results would be released first to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.