58 Injured When Commuter Ferry Crashes in Manhattan
By: NBC News
Updated: January 9, 2013
A commuter ferry crashed in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday morning, injuring 58 people, including two in critical condition, officials said.
A total of 326 passengers, including five crew members, were aboard the ferry when it slammed into the dock during rush hour, Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe said.
"There was a jolt when that occurred, throwing the people forward into their seats and the walls," SeaStreak President James Barker told NBC 4 New York.
Aerial footage showed people strapped to stretchers, their heads and necks immobilized, with firefighters swarming the ferry and the dock. A large gash could be seen in the underside of the boat.
One of those in critical condition was in surgery after suffering a head injury from the accident, a spokesperson with the New York Police Department said.
Passenger Sean Boyle told NBC 4 New York that the vessel felt like it went "full speed right into the pier," and said some passengers were thrown down the boat's stairs.
"Everybody got jolted right out of their seats," he said.
It was not known what caused the crash, which occurred at Manhattan's Pier 11, near Wall Street. Weather conditions were normal Wednesday morning, and no mariner warnings had been posted before the 8:45 a.m. accident happened, NBC 4 New York reported.
The pier was closed following the accident. Department of Transportation officials said the pier was expected to re-open at noon.
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