57 Injured as Seastreak Ferry Crashes Into New York Pier

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg inspects the damage after the commuter ferry slammed into a pier in New York, January 9. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

Injured passengers being helped by firefighters. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK—A commuter ferry crashed into the dock at Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan, injuring 57 people Wednesday morning, New York officials announced. Two were critically injured.

The Seastreak ferry coming from New Jersey hit the dock as it was pulling into Pier 11 at 8:40 a.m. 

The most seriously injured were transported to Manhattan hospitals, while the rest were transported to Brooklyn hospitals to prevent tie ups in emergency rooms.

The ferry was carrying 326 passengers when the accident occurred. The two most serious injuries were head injuries, one from falling down the stairs. No riders fell into water, according to Emergency Medical Services Chief Abdo Nahmod. “Some twenty-odd patients suffered from spinal injuries,” he said. 

An injured person is moved to a waiting ambulance after the crash. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The nearby South Street Emergency Medical Services branch was able to arrive on the scene within three minutes of the call. 

Seastreak spokesman Tom Wynne said the name of the captain could not be released at this time. 

“This is the most serious incident since the current owner [of SeaStreak] took over in 2008,” Wynne told The Epoch Times. “We were told by first responders there were no life threatening injuries.”

It is unclear at this point why the crash occurred and an investigation is underway.

“The investigation will be conducted with the Coast Guard, NYPD, and National Transportation Safety Board. They will be here by one this afternoon,” said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. “We are in no position to make any determinations at this time.”

The north side of Pier 11 reopened for commuters at noon, according to Janet Sadik-Khan, the city commissioner of the Department of Transportation. 

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