# Statin Island ferry accident **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769 "2003-10-16T12:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/1 "2003-10-16T12:49:21Z")
I’m wondering about a few details in regards to this horrific accident. I’ve ridden the ferry a million times, in fact I was on it last week. How could the damage have been so extensive? The thing goes about 5 miles an hour. How did the windows get ripped off? It crashed into piles, there is nothing protruding out to sheer the side off. Why so many dismembered limbs? Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/2 "2003-10-16T12:52:42Z")
Here’s what I figure from what I read. It goes far faster than 5mph…it just feels that way. It hit the pier and snapped the wooden supports. With the supports gone, it collapsed down and as the boat moved forward, the leaning pier was at the same level as the windows. Flying wood, concrete, glass and metal. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/3 "2003-10-16T13:46:48Z")
That does make some sense. Such a bizarre event. Was it leaving Staten Island or approaching? I could see it having a good head of steam built up if it was approaching. ---
**Author:** ![epolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@epolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epolo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/4 "2003-10-16T13:50:17Z")
The figure I heard was that it moves about 15 mph - more than 5 but still not that fast. But remember, we’re talking about _momentum_ here. The ferry is as tall as a three-story building and as large as a football field. The thing weighs over 2,000 tons and when that much mass hits at any speed, there’s going to be damage. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/5 "2003-10-16T14:00:43Z")
It was arriving at the ferry dock. I heard on the radio this morning the Captain tried to commit suicide, and is in critical condition. What a terrible thing to happen. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/6 "2003-10-16T14:09:32Z")
NYTimes has a [map graphic of the area.](http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2003/10/15/nyregion/20031016_FERR_GRAPH1.html) It shows that it hit a pier in a completely different area then where it normally docks. Which seems fairly important to me: it wasn’t just coming in to the normal docking too fast, it was out of control. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/7 "2003-10-16T14:56:54Z")
According to the NY Post, the boat was going significantly faster than it normally does. That seems to be both the cause of the accident and the reason for the number and severity of casualties. Here’s what the ferry pilot said: > [@](#): > > Smith, known to his friends as Jeff, told investigators that the crash occurred because he forgot to take his high blood pressure medication and blacked out. When he woke up, he claimed he accidentally shifted into full throttle, sending the vessel hurtling into the Staten Island Ferry terminal at high speed. [http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/8239.htm](http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/8239.htm) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/8 "2003-10-16T15:03:36Z")
Here is a detailed account from CNN: [http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/10/16/ferry.accident/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/10/16/ferry.accident/index.html) Details: 1. The ferry was going much faster than it was supposed to, probably close to 20mph, before it crashed. Remember that these boats are _very big_ and carry a significant amount of momentum. 2. The windows that got ripped were all on the lower deck, which collided with the maintenence peer, which is a little south of the peer it’s supposed to dock at. 3. I’m guessing lots of people got their limbs severed by falling debris. Many were sitting in seats right next to the windows that were destroyed; they probably got mangled by the peer itself. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/statin-island-ferry-accident/207769/9 "2003-10-16T18:05:00Z")
The pilot at the helm tried to commit suiced. Not to be confused with the Captain.