Jul 2, 2009 12:26 pm US/Eastern
Crew Of S.I. Ferry Submits To Routine Testing
15 Injured Passengers Recover After Wednesday's Docking Accident
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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(File)
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
The crew of the Staten Island ferry that crashed into a pier Wednesday has submitted to routine drug and alcohol testing.
The 27-ton John J. Marchi ferry boat was preparing to dock at the Saint George terminal when its propulsion system allegedly failed. The boat then lost power as it was docking.
Of the nearly 800 on board, 15 reported minor injuries.
Ferry boats have propellers at both ends, and are supposed to reverse thrust and slow down as they approach the dock. FDNY Deputy Chief James Leonard explained that losing power during the process is comparable to a car pulling into its garage with no breaks.
"What we saw was superficial damage and we saw some damage to the dock itself," FDNY Deputy Chief James Leonard said. "We had 15 total injuries and that included two NYPD officers and also three crew members and 10 passengers."
One worker at the terminal saw The Marchi as it approached and failed to slow down before impact.
"The boat came fast – Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang! Then everybody go inside. Nobody outside," Nalla Nagan said.
The crash occurred at the same terminal where The Andrew Barberi collided with a concrete pier, killing 11 passengers in 2003.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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