A crowded commuter boat slammed into a dock in lower Manhattan on Wednesday morning, possibly injuring as many as 57 people. The boat, carrying a reported 326 people, was heading from New Jersey to Pier 11 near the Financial District at the southern tip of the island, when it landed hard against the dock just before 9:00 a.m. Local TV crews captured dozens of people being carried off the boat on stretchers, although most of the injuries are believed to be minor. NY1 reports that 50 patients are "being evaluated" by rescue crews. The New York Daily News reports that one passenger suffered head injuries that required surgery.

While the damage to the boat was minor and there's no danger of it sinking, TV images showed the spot where several feet of metal were torn away after hammering into the dock. 

AP Photo/Richard Drew

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

The accident calls to mind a similar, but much more severe crash from 2003, when the Staten Island Ferry crashed into its terminal after failing to stop in time. Eleven people were killed in that accident and the pilot of the boat (who was fell asleep after allegedly taking painkiller) was later convicted of manslaughter.

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Dashiell Bennett