Staten Island Ferry Boat Accident

MYFOXNY.COM/AP - A Staten Island Ferry boat hit a pier while docking at the St. George Terminal on Staten Island Wednesday evening, injuring at least 15 people, New York Fire Department officials said. Ten of the injuries are minor, the other five were more serious.

Four rescue boat crews as well as an investigation team from Coast Guard Station New York also responded to the scene, officials said.

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The ferry boat, named the Sen. John J. Marchi, may have temporarily lost power after hitting a docking ramp. Crews were able to restore power and complete the docking maneuver.

Emergency responders set up a triage area at the terminal to evaluate passengers and crew.

Officials are calling the incident a "hard dock." As many as 800 passengers were on board, according to reports.

One passenger who says he was on the ferry told MyFoxNY.com in an e-mail that people didn't panic when the boat hit the pier.

"The boat pilot made a great effort to steer the boat into the pilings to absorb the initial impact," wrote Andrew. We then bounced off and went into the side pilings, slamming into the slip while the pilot kept warning us and blowing the horn."

Andrew praised the way everyone handled the accident.

"I was just twenty minutes late getting home," he wrote. "Not bad -- my hat off to the pilot and crew and [first] responders!"

Drug and alcohol tests have been ordered for the crew, the Coast Guard said.

The Staten Island Ferry has nine vessels that carry commuters between St. George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan, according to the AP.

In 2003, the  Andrew J. Barberi, carrying about 1,500 people, crashed into a Staten Island pier at full speed, killing 11 people.