Early Wednesday Jan. 9, 57 people were injured as a ferry boat slammed into a barge in Lower Manhattan as it was pulling into a dock.
Authorities reported that the SeaStreak Ferry crashed at around 8:43 a.m. into a pier structure during a hard landing.
Passenger Steve Man stated that when the boat hit the dock everyone went flying. 57 people were injured, according to officials. Numerous passengers were taken off the boat on flatboards with their heads and necks immobilized. One passenger was taken to the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition according to officer Sophia Tassy, a spokeswomen for the NYPD.
More: Live Updates On NYC Ferry Crash Here
Charles Rowe, a spokesman for the coast guard reported that there were 326 passengers and 5 crew workers on the ferry.
Passengers reported that they were confused and scrambled to rush off after the accident. Chris Above told ABC News that the impact was similar to a car crash.
Another passenger Ellen Foran stated, "We just tumbled on top of each other. I got thrown into everybody else. ... People were hysterical, crying,"
The ferry was reported to be 140 feet long and 30 feet wide. Over the past few years the city has been working to expand ferry service along New York City's waterways, and accidents are relatively rare.
One of the worst ferry accidents to take place in the city's history was on Oct.15, 2003 when a Staten Island ferry missed a dock and hit a maintenance pier at full speed. The accident killed 11 people and injured 70.
The SeaStreak Ferry service offers high-speed catamaran services to Manhattan from Central New Jersey. The service has five ferries; four have capacities of up to 400 passengers and one can hold 149.
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