A History of Local Ferry Accidents
In May 2010, 48 people suffered minor injuries when a Staten Island Ferry lost its brake power as it approached the St. George Terminal. It was the same boat that had been involved in the infamous incident of October 2003, in which the Staten Island crashed into a pier at the St. George Terminal, injuring dozens and killing 10, after the pilot blacked out at the controls. That was the worst mass transit disaster in modern New York history. In similar incidents: in July 1998, the Staten Island Ferry slammed into a pier at the Whitehall Street Terminal, injuring 10; in February 1996, 18 people were hospitalized after the Staten Island Ferry smashed into pilings as it docked into St. George Terminal. The cause was heavy fog. [photo]