7 Hurt When Ferry Rams Colman Dock -- Damage To Slow Bainbridge, Bremerton Runs For Weeks

SEATTLE - At least seven people were injured this morning when the ferry Sealth crashed into the landing at Colman Dock, authorities said.

The ferry was arriving in Seattle from Bremerton when it rammed the dock at about 9:45 a.m., extensively damaging the piling next to the loading ramp. Pieces of piles broke off and fell onto the ferry's deck.

Ferry officials said they did not see any damage to the vessel, but will pull it out of service and put it into dry dock to be checked more carefully. The Coast Guard will also inspect the Sealth as it investigates the cause of the accident.

The Sealth hit the landing first on its left side and then bounced onto the other side. There was a brief delay, and then the piles snapped, with several falling on the deck. Several landed on the hood of a pickup that contained Mark Peterson, 23, of Bremerton. Peterson was not injured.

Two men were taken to Virginia Mason Medical Center, apparently with minor injuries. A woman who was unable to walk was taken by ambulance to Swedish Medical Center/Seattle, and a woman with a back injury was taken to Harborview Medical Center, said Seattle Fire Department Lt. Dana Caldart. Another woman was taken by a private vehicle to an unknown hospital, he said. The other injured required no hospitalization.

James Kelsey, 33, of Bremerton said he was in the front end of the Sealth's passenger area.

"We were coming in and everything seemed normal," he said. "All of a sudden, it didn't seem right. The engines weren't coasting. They were still throttled up. Everything was kind of weird with the power on."

Kelsey said a ferry worker yelled, "Hold on," then grabbed onto the vessel to brace herself. He said 40 passengers, who had been waiting in the front, ran back inside the ferry. Everyone grabbed onto their seats.

The ferry Chelan was to replace the Sealth beginning with the 6:30 p.m. trip to Bremerton today, said Susan Harris, spokeswoman for Washington State Ferries.

The middle slip, which normally handles the Bremerton ferries, is expected to be out of service for several weeks, Harris said. Delays in both the Bremerton and Bainbridge Island runs are expected as a result.

The Sealth is one of the so-called "Issaquah-class" ferries, which suffered severe problems with their control systems from the time they were first introduced to the system about 20 years ago.

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Major ferry mishaps since 1980

-- September 1996: The ferry Kitsap runs aground in fog-shrouded Rich Passage on the run from Bremerton to Seattle. No injuries, but six vehicles are damaged and the Kitsap sustains an estimated $300,000 damage.

-- July 1996: The ferry Elwha nearly runs aground in the San Juan Islands when the skipper goes for an unauthorized, 15-mile detour. The captain was fired by the ferry service after an investigation concluded that he had neglected his duties, failed to follow regulations, and tested positive for alcohol or drugs while at work.

-- October 1994: The ferry Issaquah slams into a terminal guidewall at the north end of Vashon Island. Only limited damage, but three days of repair work is required.

-- January 1994: The Elwha loses power in the fog and crashes into the terminal at Anacortes.

-- September 1991: The ferries Sealth and Kitsap collide in heavy fog in Rich Passage just north of Bremerton, injuring one woman. The U.S. Coast Guard determines that the two captains failed to properly use their radar and radios. Both were charged with misconduct and negligence, and were suspended.

-- September 1986: The propulsion system of the Cathlamet malfunctions and the boat slams into the dock at Clinton, Whidbey Island, causing at least $500,000 damage.

-- April 1986: The Hyak runs into a reef near the Anacortes ferry terminal, forcing the evacuation of 250 passengers. The Coast Guard determines that navigational error caused the accident.

-- October 1983: The Elwha wanders off course and hits a reef off Orcas Island, ripping the hull.

-- April 1983: The Rhododendron runs aground near the Port Townsend ferry dock.

-- August 1982: The Issaquah rams the dock at Southworth.

-- April 1982: The Cathlamet drifts from the Mukilteo ferry ramp and a car slips off. No injuries.

-- October 1981: The Klahowya rams into Vashon Island dock, causing $150,000 damage.

-- April 1981: The Walla Walla runs aground off Bainbridge Island.

-- February 1981: The Evergreen State rams into a slip at Vashon Island terminal.

-- January 1981: The Klahowya collides with a Liberian freighter in heavy fog in Elliott Bay. Only minor damage.

-- December 1980: The Issaquah hits the dock at Fauntleroy.