Several Passengers Injured in Seastreak Ferry Accident

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ - Several passengers were injured Wednesday morning when the Seastreak Wall Street crashed into the South Street Seaport Pier 11.  

At least 58 people sustained injuries when the ferry, heading up the East River, took a left turn into the dock and sustained a large gash in the right front hull when it came to a hard landing.

The injured were transported to area hospitals including: Lenox Hill, NY Downtown, Roosevelt and Cornell.  

Many passengers were standing, ready to disembark, when the boat slammed into the pier and they were flung around the cabin.  Witnesses described shoulder, back, leg and head injuries.

In a news conference, officials said there were two passengers in critical condition at Weill-Cornell Medical Center.

The ferry departed Highlands at 8:00 a.m. and was approaching Pier 11 in New York City when it hit Slip D and then Slip B on the south side of the pier at about 8:45 this morning.  The northern side of the pier will reopen at noon.

The Seastreak Wall Street, sometimes called the "big boat" by passengers, was retrofitted last year with lighter propellers which make travel smoother according to some passengers.  One person, speaking to local CBS News affiliate, WCBS, said since the retrofitting there were sometimes docking issues, with the ferry maneuvering back and forth to dock. There is no indication if that was the case during this docking.

"A lot of head injuries.  A lot of people were bleeding from their head," said Kim Nelson, who witnessed several passengers being removed from the boat.  

NTSB investigators are en route to the scene.

Super Storm Sandy Delays Seven Bridges Road Project

Closure and detours to continue until mid-April 

LITTLE SILVER, NJ – Work to replace Monmouth County’s bridge on Seven Bridges Road over Little Silver Creek has been delayed as a result of Super storm Sandy. The bridge and road are expected to reopen in mid-April.

“Following the storm, our contractor evaluated the situation at the bridge and reassessed the schedule,” County Engineer Joseph Ettore said. “However, after resuming work and upon reaching the point in the schedule where the foundation piles for the bridge abutments were to be installed, the electric to the bridge had to be de-energized.”

JCP&L was not able to perform the necessary de-energization because its work crews were committed to the on-going Hurricane Sandy recovery effort. JCP&L returned to the bridge project on Dec. 7 and de-energized the overhead power lines so that the contractor could safely resume work and complete the installation of the foundation piles.

Read more: Super Storm Sandy Delays Seven Bridges Road Project

Middletown Man Indicted for Murder of Wife

FREEHOLD, NJ - A Monmouth County grand jury returned an indictment today charging Patrick F. Allen with the murder of his wife, Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced. The indictment charged Allen, 45, of Middletown, with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, third-degree hindering the apprehension of another, and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.

On November 18, 2011, approximately 11:45 a.m., Middletown police received a call to respond to the Allen home. There they found the victim, Kimberly Allen, 44, deceased on the kitchen floor while Patrick Allen remained on the scene. Subsequent investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Middletown Township Police Department revealed that Allen and his wife were involved in a struggle that led to Allen striking his wife with a frying pan. The Middlesex County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the cause of death was homicidal violence, including asphyxia and blunt impact injuries to the head.As a result of the investigation, Allen was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife on that same day on November 18. Bail was set at $1 million by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr., J.S.C. Allen remains detained at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute and remains in lieu of bail.

Read more: Middletown Man Indicted for Murder of Wife

AHHerald to Roll Out New Format

AHHerald has resolved technical issues that could have caused us to go dark for a while. Our webhost, the company that provides space for our website, threatened to suspend our account, as it did for a few hours last month, if we could notreduce the demands on their computer. A combination of increased web traffic - a result of Sandy coverage - and out-of-date software which runs our website caused high loads on their computer's CPU (central processing unit). We have made tweaks to our out-of-date software to patch the problem for now.

In the weeks ahead, we will roll our a new website and a new format. More on that later. For now, you can continue to count on the Herald for daily news and events information, the best columnists on the Bayshore, and letters from your neighbors. 

Subscribe to the AHHerald Newsbrief at www.ahherald.com
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Littoral Society Heads to the Beach for Annual New Year’s Day Walk Despite Sandy

LONG BRANCH, NJ: The American Littoral Society will hold its 35^th annual Dery Bennett Memorial New Year’s Day Beach Walk at Seven Presidents Park in Long Branch, on New Year’s Day starting at 11 am.

“In spite of Sandy, we are headed back to the beach” said Tim Dillingham, Executive Director, “In fact, this year’s walk will provide not only a great way to start the New Year, but a teaching opportunity to discuss the storm, beaches and coastal development.”

The American Littoral Society has led a walk along the beaches of Sandy Hook for 35 years. This year, the damage to the National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook led the group to relocate the walk to Long Branch.  The walk is named in honor of the Society’s former executive director, Dery Bennett.

Read more: Littoral Society Heads to the Beach for Annual New Year’s Day Walk Despite Sandy

United Way of Monmouth County Launches “Warmest Wishes” New Clothing Drive

Farmingdale, NJ –United Way of Monmouth County has initiated a “Warmest Wishes” new clothing drive for children in need in Monmouth County. Extending through January, the organization is collecting new hats, gloves/mittens, scarves, coats, sweatpants, sweatshirts/fleeces, boots, socks and underwear. United Way is partnering with area schools and local distribution centers to provide these clothes, which are needed more than ever following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

“This initiative provides a way for individuals and organizations to send their ‘warmest wishes’ to children in need of clothing in our area, particularly those who have lost so much due to the hurricane,” says Timothy Hearne, Jr., President and CEO of United Way of Monmouth County.

Read more: United Way of Monmouth County Launches “Warmest Wishes” New Clothing Drive