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[h1]Staten Island Ferry in fatal 2003 crash slams into terminal again; nearly 40 hurt at St. George dock[/h1]
BY Ben Chapman, Kate Nocera and Jonathan Lemire
Daily News Writers
Originally Published:Saturday, May 8th 2010, 10:57 AM
Updated: Saturday, May 8th 2010, 2:28 PM
Fevelo for News
After Staten Island Ferry crash that injured about 40 people, emergency responders treat victims.
A Staten Island ferry unable to stop after suffering engine failure slammed into a St. George dock Saturday morning, puncturing holes in the ship's hull and injuring nearly 40 people, witnesses and officials said.
The Andrew J. Barberi- the same ferry that ran aground in 2003, killing 11 people - wascarrying 252 commuters when it smashed into the dock at the StatenIsland terminal at 9:20 a.m., officials said.
"I grabbed onto a rope when they told us to brace ourselves and whenwe crashed, I just bounced up and down like a basketball," said Ludgy Wu, 32, a photographer onboard the ship. "The scene was just chaos," said Wu.
"Everyone was running around and screaming, and I was just trying not to panic. My whole body is killing me."
The terrifying crash sent 33 people to area hospitals and two otherswere treated at the terminal, officials said. One person was listed incritical condition after suffering chest pains, but none of theinjuries were considered life-threatening.
Dozens of passengers said they were overcome by an ominous feelingwhen they noticed the 300-foot-long Barberi approaching the dock muchfaster than it normally does.
"The thing must be cursed," said passenger Ryan Romans, 19, who wastaken to Richmond Medical Center after the crash. "I can't believe it'sthe same boat that killed all those people."
"It was going so fast - faster than it normally does," said Romans. "I was walking up the stairs and fell so hard."
The ferry captain told investigators that when he tried to activatethe reverse thrust to slow the boat down, the engines didn't respond,according to law enforcement sources.
"It appears to be a mechanical problem," Department ofTransportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said at an afternoonpress conference.
"You can't pull back on the throttle - it's like brakes on a car."The 3360-gross-ton boat was travelling at 5 knots - the equivalent ofabout 6 miles an hour - when it smashed into the dock, officials said.
The devastating impact tore open two 4-foot-by-4-foot holes in thehull 17 feet above the waterline. "It was a worse impact than a carcrash," said Alicia Eason, 26, a tourist from Tennessee who was on the ferry.
"It felt like an earthquake. "People were tossed everywhere," saidEason, who had been enjoying the ferry's stunning views in the momentsbefore the horrific crash. "We had less than two seconds warning."
The captain sounded the alarm a few moments before the crash,prompting many of the boat's 18-person crew to herd passengers awayfrom the front of the boat.
"It was coming in [to dock], but it wasn't slowing down," said Danyelle Tellefson, 18, who was traveling to Staten Island to visit her mom for Mother's Day.
"A guy came by yelling 'Brace yourself, brace yourself!'" Tellefsonsaid. "We all ran to the back, and it smashed into the dock."
No one was thrown overboard during the hard landing, and the boat did not take on any water, officials said. Two on-duty NYPD officers patrolling the boat suffered minor injuries.
Ferry service was temporarily suspended after the crash - and news of the wreck unnerved those waiting to get on the boat.
"I'm nervous. You feel kind of trapped because this is the way that you go," said Shannon Burrell,39 waiting to get on the 10:30 a.m. ferry to visit her mom on StatenIsland. "That's upsetting to know that it could happen again," Burrellsaid.
The ferry's normal schedule resumed at 11:30 a.m., officials said.Investigators, who said a full probe into the crash would be launched,downplayed comparisons to the 2003 wreck. "The 2003 incident was notmechanical," said Sadik-Khan.
"This is a very different situation." The Andrew J. Barberi slammedinto the Staten Island pier on Oct 15, 2003, a devastating wreck thatalso injured 70 people.
Its captain, Richard Smith, tried to commit suicide after the crash and admitted he passed out on painkillers in the boat's pilothouse.
He later pleaded guilty to 11 counts of seaman's manslaughter. Former ferry director Patrick Ryanalso pleaded guilty after failing to enforce a rule requiring thatferries be operated by two pilots. Hundreds of lawsuits were filedagainst the city in the aftermath of the crash.
The boat underwent $9 million in repairs and went back into service the following year.
[email protected]
BY Ben Chapman, Kate Nocera and Jonathan Lemire
Daily News Writers
Originally Published:Saturday, May 8th 2010, 10:57 AM
Updated: Saturday, May 8th 2010, 2:28 PM
Fevelo for News
After Staten Island Ferry crash that injured about 40 people, emergency responders treat victims.
A Staten Island ferry unable to stop after suffering engine failure slammed into a St. George dock Saturday morning, puncturing holes in the ship's hull and injuring nearly 40 people, witnesses and officials said.
The Andrew J. Barberi- the same ferry that ran aground in 2003, killing 11 people - wascarrying 252 commuters when it smashed into the dock at the StatenIsland terminal at 9:20 a.m., officials said.
"I grabbed onto a rope when they told us to brace ourselves and whenwe crashed, I just bounced up and down like a basketball," said Ludgy Wu, 32, a photographer onboard the ship. "The scene was just chaos," said Wu.
"Everyone was running around and screaming, and I was just trying not to panic. My whole body is killing me."
The terrifying crash sent 33 people to area hospitals and two otherswere treated at the terminal, officials said. One person was listed incritical condition after suffering chest pains, but none of theinjuries were considered life-threatening.
Dozens of passengers said they were overcome by an ominous feelingwhen they noticed the 300-foot-long Barberi approaching the dock muchfaster than it normally does.
"The thing must be cursed," said passenger Ryan Romans, 19, who wastaken to Richmond Medical Center after the crash. "I can't believe it'sthe same boat that killed all those people."
"It was going so fast - faster than it normally does," said Romans. "I was walking up the stairs and fell so hard."
The ferry captain told investigators that when he tried to activatethe reverse thrust to slow the boat down, the engines didn't respond,according to law enforcement sources.
"It appears to be a mechanical problem," Department ofTransportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said at an afternoonpress conference.
"You can't pull back on the throttle - it's like brakes on a car."The 3360-gross-ton boat was travelling at 5 knots - the equivalent ofabout 6 miles an hour - when it smashed into the dock, officials said.
The devastating impact tore open two 4-foot-by-4-foot holes in thehull 17 feet above the waterline. "It was a worse impact than a carcrash," said Alicia Eason, 26, a tourist from Tennessee who was on the ferry.
"It felt like an earthquake. "People were tossed everywhere," saidEason, who had been enjoying the ferry's stunning views in the momentsbefore the horrific crash. "We had less than two seconds warning."
The captain sounded the alarm a few moments before the crash,prompting many of the boat's 18-person crew to herd passengers awayfrom the front of the boat.
"It was coming in [to dock], but it wasn't slowing down," said Danyelle Tellefson, 18, who was traveling to Staten Island to visit her mom for Mother's Day.
"A guy came by yelling 'Brace yourself, brace yourself!'" Tellefsonsaid. "We all ran to the back, and it smashed into the dock."
No one was thrown overboard during the hard landing, and the boat did not take on any water, officials said. Two on-duty NYPD officers patrolling the boat suffered minor injuries.
Ferry service was temporarily suspended after the crash - and news of the wreck unnerved those waiting to get on the boat.
"I'm nervous. You feel kind of trapped because this is the way that you go," said Shannon Burrell,39 waiting to get on the 10:30 a.m. ferry to visit her mom on StatenIsland. "That's upsetting to know that it could happen again," Burrellsaid.
The ferry's normal schedule resumed at 11:30 a.m., officials said.Investigators, who said a full probe into the crash would be launched,downplayed comparisons to the 2003 wreck. "The 2003 incident was notmechanical," said Sadik-Khan.
"This is a very different situation." The Andrew J. Barberi slammedinto the Staten Island pier on Oct 15, 2003, a devastating wreck thatalso injured 70 people.
Its captain, Richard Smith, tried to commit suicide after the crash and admitted he passed out on painkillers in the boat's pilothouse.
He later pleaded guilty to 11 counts of seaman's manslaughter. Former ferry director Patrick Ryanalso pleaded guilty after failing to enforce a rule requiring thatferries be operated by two pilots. Hundreds of lawsuits were filedagainst the city in the aftermath of the crash.
The boat underwent $9 million in repairs and went back into service the following year.
[email protected]
