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One dead after hit-and-run boat crash in Florida | One dead after hit-and-run boat crash in Florida |
(about 11 hours later) | |
One person has died and at least 12 others were injured after a boat crash in the city of Clearwater, Florida, police have said. | |
The Clearwater Ferry, which had 45 people on board, including two crew members, was struck by a boat which then left the scene. The boat was later identified by another law enforcement agency, Clearwater government officials said. | The Clearwater Ferry, which had 45 people on board, including two crew members, was struck by a boat which then left the scene. The boat was later identified by another law enforcement agency, Clearwater government officials said. |
City officials asked for any witnesses to the crash to contact authorities. | |
The city's fire department declared a mass casualty event because of the "number and severity of injuries". The US Coast Guard said 12 people were taken to a nearby hospital. | |
All of the injuries were to people aboard the ferry, which came to rest on a sandbar. Officials said two of the victims were seriously injured. | |
Witnesses told local media outlets that the boat shattered the back of the ferry and left a huge dent. Nearby boaters used their own vessels to take a number of the ferry passengers to safety. | |
Police responded at 20:43 local time on Sunday (00:43 GMT on Monday). | Police responded at 20:43 local time on Sunday (00:43 GMT on Monday). |
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will handle the crash investigation, assisted by the Coast Guard. | The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will handle the crash investigation, assisted by the Coast Guard. |
Clearwater is on Florida's west coast, near the cities of Tampa and St Petersburg. The ferry takes passengers from Clearwater's downtown to a popular beach. The crash happened on the last day of a local sand sculpture festival. |