CLEARWATER, Fla. – A hit-and-run boat crash involving the Clearwater Ferry killed one person and sent 12 others to the hospital on Sunday night, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Clearwater ferry crash
What we know:
Officials say the crash happened near the Memorial Causeway Bridge, which connects downtown Clearwater to Clearwater Beach between 8:30 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.
There were at least 40 people on board the ferry at the time of the collision.
Mass casualty event
Dig deeper:
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, one person was killed and 12 were taken to area hospitals. Two of the victims had to be flown to hospitals for treatment due to the severity of their injuries.
Emergency officials are calling the boat crash a mass casualty event because of the number of people who were injured and the severity of their injuries.
A witness said they saw a boat heading straight for the ferry moments before the crash, giving the passengers little time to brace for impact.
Officials say several people fell into the water post-impact.
Shortly after the crash, emergency officials searched the water and located all of the victims.
Hit-and-run boat may have been located
What we don’t know:
Authorities say they believe they have located the boat that hit the ferry, but they did not release any information.
As of 6 a.m. on Monday, law enforcement officers did not say who owns the boat or who may have been driving it at the time of the crash.
What they’re saying:
“We do believe that other law enforcement in the area may have that boat right now. That’s the preliminary information we have. We are also asking that anyone who has information on this incident or who has video of this incident, that they reach out to us,” stated Rob Shaw, public information officer for the city of Clearwater.
“I fell between two seats. I couldn’t get up and all I saw was people just screaming and running and trying to react to what happened,” said Brenda Alvarez, a passenger on the ferry. “My first thing was to make sure my kids were okay and my husband was okay. We just did what we could to help the people who were more injured than we were.”
Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector took to social media shortly after the crash, posting, “We are all praying for those involved in the boat accident just south of the Memorial Causeway tonight. We are also thankful for our Clearwater and Pinellas County first responders, the US Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife for acting so quickly to save lives and investigate the incident.”
What is the Clearwater Ferry?
Dig deeper:
The Clearwater Ferry takes people from Coachman Park to Clearwater Beach.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13’s Mariah Harrison.
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