Staten Island Ferry Hard Landing Injures 15 At St. George Pier

NY Daily News 7/2/09

More than a dozen passengers were injured Wednesday night when a packed Staten Island ferry lost power as it was docking and smashed into a pier, officials said.

Panic quickly spread among the passengers of the 2,700-ton John J. Marchi ferry when the captain announced over loudspeakers that the ship had no power, witnesses said.

"He kept repeating, 'Passengers, hold on. Passengers, hold on,' " said rider Daniel Kusrow, 38.

"It was clear something was about to happen. The first impact was impressive. It popped open the security doors. It was like a car hitting a wall," said Kusrow, of St. George, S.I.

The boat carrying about 600 people slammed into the pier in St. George about 7:15 p.m.

The FDNY said 15 people suffered minor injuries. Some of the injured were taken to Richmond University Medical Center.

"It was like a big jolt," said Wall Street finance worker Peter Reilly. Because of the "crash a couple of years ago, your instinct is to hold on, which is what I did."

The Andrew J. Barberi crashed into a concrete pier at the St. George terminal on Oct. 15, 2003, killing 11 people, one of the worst mass transit accidents in the city.

Drug and alcohol tests have been ordered for the ferry crew, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

simonew@nydailynews.com