As High-Speed Ferry Strikes Dock, More Than Fifty Commuters are Injured

More than fifty commuters were injured, at least two of them critically, after a high-speed ferry struck a pier near the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan this morning. Those who sustained serious injuries were transported to Manhattan hospitals, while those with non-serious injuries were transported to hospitals in Brooklyn. All passengers are in stable condition.

The Coast Guard, the New York Police Department and The National Transportation Safety Board are currently investigating the cause of the accident.

As the ferry approached its dock in Manhattan, the boat apparently hit a slip, continued forward for a few seconds and then slammed into another slip. The boat was transporting commuters from New Jersey.

There were 326 people onboard the ferry, including five crew members. Each crew member took and passed a Breathalyzer test following the accident, according to The Wall Street Journal.

New York City's Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said the ferry was traveling at about 10 to 12 knots (comparable to miles-per-hour) at the time of the accident.