The Staten Island Ferry crashed into a concrete pier on October 15, 2003. The pier was surrounded by wooden pilings, which tore apart the ferry's port side. Eleven people were killed and around 30 injured. Mayor Bloomberg promptly announced that the crash was an accident, allaying fears of a public still stunned by 9/11. A co-worker claimed to have seen the pilot asleep on duty, slumped over the controls. Two witnesses said the boat seemed to speed up just before the crash.
The ferry's pilot slipped away after the crash so suddenly that he left his house keys. He was found shortly afterward at home (having apparently broken in). He apparently made a suicide attempt, slitting his left wrist and shooting himself twice in the chest with a pellet gun.
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