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Subscribe to RSSA commuter ferry slams into a New York City dock, injuring dozens on board. NBC's Chris Clackum reports.
Updated at 3:35 p.m. ET -- A commuter ferry packed with more than 300 passengers crashed into a dock in Lower Manhattan early Wednesday, injuring 74, at least two critically. Nine people were also in serious condition, officials said.
The force of the crash tossed some morning commuters in the air and sent others tumbling down stairs, witnesses said.
“Everybody got jolted right out of their seats,” passenger Sean Boyle told NBC 4 New York, adding that it felt like the vessel went "full speed right into the pier.”
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After the accident, a large gash could be seen in the underside of the ferry, which was operated by Seastreak and originated from Highland, N.J., around 8 a.m.
Aerial footage showed people strapped to stretchers, their heads and necks immobilized, with firefighters swarming the ferry and surrounding areas.
“We were pulling in like we normally do every day, and the next thing I know, I was six feet in the air,” rider Ashley Furman told NBC 4 New York. “I woke up from getting knocked out six feet in the air behind me. Thank god I’m OK and I’m not on a stretcher like everybody else.”
One of those in critical condition was rushed to surgery with a head injury, a spokesperson with the New York Police Department said. A total of 326 people, including five crew members, had been aboard the vessel.
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.
According to James Barker, Seastreak’s president, the ferry’s captain was at the controls when the vessel crashed. Barker said the captain had passed a breathalyzer test, and authorities were still waiting for results of a drug test – both of which are routine tests to be taken in accidents such as this one, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
He added that the captain, a 10-year veteran of Seastreak, was cooperating with authorities.
The National Transportation Safety Board launched a full investigation into the crash, and was working with the Coast Guard.
Seastreak commuter service offers rides from the New York metropolitan area to and from New Jersey, according to its website.
Wednesday's ferry accident was not the only one in recent New York history. In 2003, a Staten Island ferry got into an accident when its pilot, suffering from fatigue and on painkillers, passed out at the wheel; 11 people were killed. In May 2010, due to a mechanical malfunction, the same ferry smashed into a pier, injuring nearly 40 people.
PhotoBlog: Pictures from the ferry accident in Lower Manhattan
NBC News
A commuter ferry crashed into Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday, injuring dozens.
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The name on the ferry says it all Wallstreet Seastreak. Harder bumps on roller coasters at amusement parks, except that you expect to get knocked around and are strapped in. See it now, zillions of dollars to add seat belts to ferry boats and other safety measures. You would think Sully Sullenberger landed another jet in the Hudson with all the hype this is getting from the press. Stuff like this happens all the time at other ports and you never hear about it.
I agree with the general concensus on this post that people who are not seriously injured will be lining up for lawsuits feigning neck injury or psychological trauma of some nature (post traumatic stress disorder, depression, etc.) all in an effort to milk some dough out of it.
Only because its in NY is this a huge story.
Damn fairies .... Whoops, nevermind ....LOL
What's with people in NYC...can't pilot a ferry without crashing...and the mayor's prevention program was a "no large drinks ban"...the crew of the ferry are undoubtedly union members...is the union going to pick up the tab for their union worker's incompetence...hardly...then all the passengers grab some part of their anatomy with one hand and start dialing their lawyer's office with the other hand...meanwhile the mayor's off in DC working on a gun ban program...the only way I see fixing NYC is to change the name to NYC Mental Institution...and the only way I see taking care of the people are to put them in individual padded cells where they can't get hurt...these people evidently have birth certificates with "mother - unknown" and "father - Uncle Sam" and an IQ smaller than their shoe size...
Another intoxicated Ferry Captain!
Ban the Ferries and Charge Bloomberg with 57 counts of assault.
This streaking ferry was probably full of Siemens.........executives that is.
Zman I don''t ever recall guns ever growing legs to run through theaters and schools killing people. Think you're the idiot.
But I agree with all the other sarcastic over-reactionaries on here-BAN FERRIES!!!! We can't sit back idly and let these tragedies continue to happen.
Texting Captain?
Waving at a girlfriend on the pier?
(I before E except after C) I never get it right.
AGAIN?
Quick - ban assault ferries.
Jokes aside, I hope those injured will be ok.
Maybe NYC should pay some attention to boat control, instead of super-size sodas.
Oh my gosh! New York City should immediately ban all ferries just like guns.
...or 16 ounce sodas.
To: IT IS TIME-your post says it all. Kudos.
To: Z MAN-Usually when someone resorts to name calling it is because of ignorance or stupidity. PEOPLE committed these murders. The guns did not just show up by themselves! I'm not a 'gun nut', as some people refer to anyone who owns one, but I do believe in our right to bear arms. I don't believe we need clips that hold over 6 to 8 bullets. These should be illegal. If you haven't hit a target, etc with 6 shots then you need to give it up.
I hope the injured people recover soon. I also hope the bottom feeding "lawyers" may some day get a clue as to how much they really hurt society but realistically that isn't going to happen.
Speaking of lawyers, I guarantee as we speak the dock has more lawyers on it than recue workers.
Not to mention, might be like Philadelphia years ago...a bus accident with like 25 people on board, but 100 who were not even on the bus will file claims..same here...see how many people say they were on the boat
Like the staged accident in Trenton N.J. with a bus...people were climbing in thru the windows so that they could say they were injured
Ferry crashes full speed into dock........cause unknown......let me guess......Inattention?.......Failure to see the dock?.......Sleeping on duty?.......Too drunk to know what is happening?.....In the lower berth with Matilda?
Or the more obvious.............TEXTING
The cause or the accident resulted from 5 things.
1- Depleted gene pool
2- The dumbing down of America
3- HIring under qualified white males.
4- Males gazing at some woman's -a s s-
5- Texting/sexting
Maybe he's auditioning for an action movie
Ban ferrys since we know it is not the guy running it.Just like guns it is not the person it is the object.Just ask your obama.
Breaking in a new driver literally .
Can't ban ferries.........politically not correct
I see no reason for these assault ferries to exist in private hands. If we limit their capacity, fewer people would be injured when they conduct a "hard dock".
Wait till we all start texting on dope............legally....with guns
after our release from the institution due to lack of funding