2003 Staten Island Ferry crash

Damage to the ferry after the crash

Damage to the ferry after the crash

Damage to the pier after the ferry crashed into it

On October 15, 2003, at 15:21, the Staten Island Ferry's Andrew J. Barberi vessel crashed into a concrete pier at the St. George Ferry terminal. Eleven people were killed and 71 were injured, some of them with severed limbs. It was the worst accident in the ferry's 98-year history.

The accident

The 310-foot ferry was at the end of its five-mile, twenty-five minute trip from Manhattan to Staten Island. On board were approximately 1,500 passengers (well below the maximum capacity of 6,000). Winds were particularly heavy that afternoon, with gusts of over 40 mph. The water in New York Harbor was described as "very choppy."

Instead of docking, the ferry angled away from its berth and slammed full-speed into a concrete maintenance pier, a concrete platform supported by pilings. The pier ripped into the ferry's starboard side and tore into the boat's main deck where many passengers were crowding forward to depart. As the concrete slab entered the boat, passengers screamed and ran for cover. Some jumped into the 62 degree water. The accident, which took less than a minute, left a number of victims trapped in a massive debris pile of metal, glass, wood and flesh. The hull, however, sustained no damage, and the ferry was never in any danger of sinking.

On the upper deck, passengers waiting to exit turned and rushed back in a panic as the ferry struck the pier. Within a few moments, calm returned, and passengers saw no sign of the carnage immediately below them. No announcements were made, and the upper-deck crowd waited in complete ignorance for twenty minutes, until the vessel was turned around and finally docked at the other end. Even before it reached its berth, rescue workers arrived on shore to assist with the search for survivors.

Fatalities and injuries

Ten people were killed instantly and 71 others were injured in the accident.

• All of the fatalities and most injuries were to passengers in the main deck; some passengers on the upper decks were injured during the crowd's panic, and many were treated for shock.
• Among the dead was John P. Healy, a 44-year old father of four who was a survivor of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
• Paul Esposito, a 24-year old waiter was maimed when both of his legs were severed below the knee. He was rescued by Kerry Griffiths, a 34-year old nurse from the UK who was sightseeing on the ferry.
• On December 16 2003, injured victim Debra Castro died, making her the 11th fatality of the accident. She had been in a drug-induced coma for two months.

Aftermath

Mayor Bloomberg promptly announced that the crash was an accident, allaying fears of a public still stunned by the 9/11 terrorist attacks (which killed a large number of Staten Island residents). A co-worker claimed to have seen the pilot asleep on duty, slumped over the controls. Two witnesses said the boat seemed to speed up just before the crash.

The ferry's pilot, Richard Smith, attempted suicide by slitting his left wrist while still on the boat. He then slipped away so suddenly that he left his house keys. He was found shortly afterward at home (having apparently broken in). Smith had again tried to kill himself, this time by shooting himself twice in the chest with a pellet gun, but survived this second suicide attempt.

It was later determined that Smith had lost consciousness while at the ship's controls. He had taken the painkillers Tramadol and Tylenol PM, both of which can cause drowsiness as a side effect. On August 4, 2004, Smith pled guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison on January 10, 2006. New York's former city ferry director, Patrick Ryan, was sentenced to a year and a day on similar charges.

The accident resulted in scores of lawsuits against the city. By 2004, 33 suits had been settled for $1.7 million, with other lawsuits pending.

The crash has been argued to be an "Act of God," by New York City, arguing that the Department of Transportation should not be held responsible for the crash, disturbing many survivors and New York City residents. Attorneys on behalf of the city, citing a 19th Century maritime law, would later argue that the total amount of damages sought against the city should not exceed the cost of the ferryboat. On February 26th, 2007, U.S. District Judge Edward Korman rejected this argument and held that the city could not cap damages writing, "The city's failure to provide a second pilot or otherwise adopt a reasonable practice that addresses the issue of pilot incapacitation was plainly a substantial factor in causing the disaster."

External links

• NYC ferry crash kills 10, injures dozens - Washington Times
• Ferry Pilot Sentenced - Sydney Morning Herald
• Staten Island Angel Memorial - website dedicated to victims of the accident
• P-A-U-L-I-E - website of Paul Esposito, the 24 year-old waiter who lost both his legs in the accident

Filmmaker Jonathan M. Parisen is currently in production on a film about the disaster entitled "Crash of The Barberi."