2003 Staten Island Ferry crash
Damage to the ferry after the crash
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| Time | 3:21 p.m. (EST) |
|---|---|
| Date | 15 October 2003 |
| Location | St. George, Staten Island |
| Cause | Pilot impairment |
| Deaths | 11 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 165 |
| Convicted | Pilot Richard Smith and New York City ferry director Patrick Ryan |
| Charges | Manslaughter, Making false statements |
| Verdict | Guilty pleas |
| Convictions | 18 months (Smith), a year and a day (Ryan) |
| On board | ~1,500 |
On October 15, 2003, at 3:21 p.m., the Staten Island Ferry vessel Andrew J. Barberi crashed full-speed into a concrete pier at the St. George ferry terminal. Eleven people were killed and 165 injured, some critically.
The 310-foot (94 m) ferry was at the end of its 5-mile (8 km), twenty-five-minute trip from Manhattan to St. George, Staten Island. On board were approximately 1,500 passengers, well below the maximum capacity of 6,000. Winds were particularly heavy that afternoon, with gusts of more than 40 mph (64 km/h). The water in New York Harbor was described as "very choppy".
Instead of docking, the ferry angled away from its berth and slammed full-speed into a maintenance pier, a concrete platform supported by pilings. The pier ripped into the ferry's starboard side and tore into the boat's main deck where many passengers were crowding forward to disembark. As the concrete slab entered the boat, passengers screamed and ran for cover. Some jumped into the water. The accident left a number of victims trapped in a pile of metal, glass, and splintered wood. The accident was the worst in the ferry service's 98-year history. The ferry's hull, however, sustained no damage, and the vessel was never in danger of sinking.
On the upper deck, passengers waiting to exit turned and ran in panic as the ferry struck the pier. Following the crash, they could see none of the carnage immediately below them. No announcements were made, and the upper-deck crowd waited in ignorance for twenty minutes, until the vessel was turned around and finally docked at the other end. Even before it reached its berth, rescue workers arrived on shore to assist with the search for survivors.
Eleven people were killed and 71 others injured in the accident. All the fatalities and most of the injuries were to passengers on the main deck; some passengers on the upper decks were injured during the crowd's panic, and many were treated for shock. The deaths included a survivor of the September 11 attacks and a woman who was placed in a drug-induced coma for two months after the accident. Paul Esposito, a 24-year-old waiter, had both legs severed below the knee. His life was saved by Kerry Griffiths, a sightseeing 34-year-old pediatric nurse from England, who applied tourniquets.
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Wikipedia