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NEWS > U.S.A. > DOZENS INJURED AS FERRY RACE GOES BADLY
DOZENS INJURED AS FERRY RACE GOES BADLY
May 8 2010
New York, NY – There are perhaps no greater sights to see in the United States than the city of New York. One of the few cities in the world that can truly claim to be an international city, New York has long been at the top of the travel heap for the 
majority of people. The Statue of Liberty, the Hudson River, and of course the unmatched skyline of the city so nice they named it twice draws millions of visitors every year.
Perhaps the best way to reach the heart of the city, Manhattan, is via the Staten Island ferry which gives visitors the grand tour of the grand city, making it one of the most sought after destinations in the city. That was likely the case for a group of visitors on Saturday who instead of a panoramic view of the city were instead caught in the middle of chaos as the ferry they were riding on slammed into a dock, injuring dozens. Though the investigation is still in the early stages it’s believed that the incident may have been a result of the annual ferry races that go on throughout the spring and summer months in the area, though such exercises are generally conducted without passengers.
“It appears to have been a technical malfunction. Thus far it appears that the throttle
failed to engage as the ferry came close to the dock which resulted in the crew being unable to slow the vessel and as a result it crashed into the dock,” said Andrew J. Barberi, Staten Island transportation commissioner. “We have about 60 injured people here, with at least one person in serious condition. We will be conducting a thorough investigation into this incident to try and determine what precisely happened, who might have been at fault, and what we can do to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The commissioner also noted that he wasn’t sure why races had been occurring when passengers were aboard, a strict no-no.
“Ferry races have been a standard part of the business for years and often draw a lot
of visitors however like all races they are supposed to be confined to specially trained personnel and avoid civilians at all costs. That doesn’t seem to have been the case here and that could spell doom for the future of these races,” said Scrape TV American analyst Dave Davidson. “This particular ferry was also involved in a similar incident a few years ago which actually killed 11 people though because that was a genuine accident, or at least that is what was determined, there was no call to end the races. However the situation might be totally different this time and I imagine there will be a great deal of public outcry that could end these races forever.”
In 2003 the Andrew J. Barberi crashed into a pier with 1500 people aboard. At the time it was determined that the incident had been a result of human error.
“I’ve seen the ferry races myself and they are sight to behold. These are really large vessels and seeing them move at top speed, jockeying for position, well it’s just something else. Something that really makes the trip to city complete and it would be a shame if they were to end. I can’t imagine a trip to New York without a slice of pizza, a hot dog, and a front row seat to the ferry races,” continued Davidson. “However the safety of the public needs to take precedent and if the people involved can’t act responsibly well then everybody loses.”
The semi final heats have been delayed though as yet have not been officially cancelled.
Mike Michaels, American Correspondent
NEWS > U.S.A. > DOZENS INJURED AS FERRY RACE GOES BADLY
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