Staten Island Ferry Tragedy

A picture of what happened during the terrible tragedy of the Staten Island Ferry ship, the Anthony J. Barberi, crashing into piling near the SI Ferry's piers is starting to emerge. The ship was approaching and missed the piers at a high speed. When the second captain was unable to gain total control of the ship, the ship slammed into a maintenance pier, and then that concrete pier sheared the side of the ship. People fell into the water, girders were torn out, boards were splintered. It's unclear how many were on the boat at the time; officials believe the 3:30 ferry was at full capacity, 1500 passenger. Mayor Bloomberg reported 10 died with many injured. While he did not give any thoughts about what might have caused the crash, he did suggest that the 45 MPH winds may have been a factor.

NY Times:
10 Die as Staten Island Slams Into Pier
Too Fast, Passengers Say Ferry Hurtled Into Disaster
History of NY's Worst Transit Disasters
Pilot's Uneventful Routine Ends in Terrible Mystery
The Victims: A Solemn Wait for News of Loved Ones

Newsday:
'Death Ride' Kills At Least 10
Ferry Pilot Tried Suicide

NY Daily News:
10 Dead, He Fled
It felt like we were going to die
Twist in Mike's Day
Ship named for S.I. coach

NY Post:
Full Throttle to Disaster
Rush Hour Chaos for Commuters
Shocked Neighbors: Pilot A Quiet Man

Boro 6's Sterling tells us that the incident is like the Malbone subway incident of 1918 where an untrained scab subway engineer fled the scene.

More about the ferry ship, Anthony J. Barberi and more about the Staten Island Ferry.

With SI Ferry service suspended Ferry service has reumed, but here is the latest about how to get to and from Staten Island.