Staten Island Ferry Crash Injures Dozens

The same Staten Island ferry aboard which 11 passengers were killed in 2003 has crashed into the dock again, resulting in 37 injuries.

According to Jim Long, a spokesman for the Fire Department of New York, 17 of the 37 have been transported to area hospitals. “The other 20 will be evaluated, treated and they could be transported to hospitals,” he said. Mr. Long said that one woman experienced chest pains and had difficulty breathing. She was taken to an area hospital. Charles Rowe, a spokesman for the Coast Guard, said that there were 252 passengers and 18 crew members on board. According to Mr. Rowe and Paul J. Browne, a New York Police Department spokesman, the crash occurred when the ferry’s engines appeared to malfunction and there was a loss of steering power. “As the ship was preparing to dock in Staten Island in St. George, there was a steering failure and the ship allided with the dock,” Mr. Rowe said. Among the injured were two police officers assigned to the ferry for security duties, Mr. Browne said.

I rarely ride the Staten Island ferry, but when I do I'm usually standing on the forward open deck of the lowest level. I should probably rethink that.