NEW YORK — A Staten Island ferry with a history of accidents lost power as it approached its terminal today and smashed into a pier with a jolt that tossed passengers to the deck and hurt as many as 37 people.
The accident happened at around 9:20 a.m. as the Andrew J. Barberi arrived at the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, carrying 252 passengers and 18 crew. Two police officers who provide security on the ferry were among the injured, officials said, but no crew members were hurt.
Passenger Jason Watler, 30, of St. George, said he became alarmed as the ferry approached the shore faster than usual and ran toward the back of the boat.
“It was not slowing down,” he said. “He was going too fast.”
Then, he heard a “a real big boom.”
“I stumbled a little bit,” he said. “People were screaming. People were crying.”
The accident appeared to be the result of a mechanical failure, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said.
The ferry’s throttle failed to engage as it prepared to dock, she said, meaning the crew was unable to use the engines to slow down. The cause of the malfunction is still unknown, she said.
Coast Guard officials said the ferry suffered serious damage to its ramps and gouges in the decks above the waterline. Ramps on the pier were also damaged.
The Fire Department said 17 passengers were taken by ambulance to hospitals, but that none had life-threatening injuries. One person complained of chest pains. Others were bandaged and comforted by firefighters at the scene.
The Andrew Barberi was also involved in a 2003 wreck that killed 11 people. That accident occurred when the pilot, suffering from extreme fatigue and on painkillers, passed out at the wheel and the boat hit the terminal in St. George at full speed. The ferry returned to service after a multimillion-dollar rehabilitation.
The pilot pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter and lying to investigators. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The city ferry director was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading guilty to negligent manslaughter and admitting he failed to implement or enforce a rule requiring two pilots during docking.
The ferry runs across New York harbor between Manhattan and Staten Island. Ferries landing at the terminal approach fairly quickly, then slow by putting the engines in reverse. The boat coasts into a U-shaped slip and workers extend large ramps that allow passengers to exit. Most passengers assemble at the front as the ferry arrives.
In today’s accident, Sadik-Khan said, the crew discovered the mechanical problem in time to alert passengers to brace for a hard landing, although it is unclear how many heard or understood the warning.
Alex Gonzalez, 36, of the Bronx, said the ferry appeared to speed up, rather than slow, as it approached the dock. He said the impact threw a woman and child standing near him about 10 feet.
“It was the scariest thing of my life,” he said.
Service on the ferry line was suspended after the accident, then restored by late morning. The ferry itself was still wedged into the dock in early afternoon. Coast Guard officials were examining the boat to determine whether it was seaworthy enough to be moved to another slip for evaluation and repairs.
“It will take a severe effort to dislodge the ferry,” Gov. David Paterson said at the scene of the crash.
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