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AMERICAN MORNING

What Caused Wednesday's Deadly Staten island Ferry Crash?

Aired October 17, 2003 - 08:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: What caused Wednesday's deadly Staten Island ferry crash? The questions continue today. Attention on the pilot now, Richard Smith, who one city councilman already claims may have collapsed at the controls.
Michael Okwu back at the Staten Island ferry this morning with the latest on what's happening on this investigation -- Michael, good morning there.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Certainly federal investigators appear to be focusing on Mr. Smith. Now, blood tests for alcohol in his system came back negative. But they are still awaiting narcotics tests on his blood. Investigators are looking into the possibility that the 55-year-old captain, as you put it, collapsed at the controls due to some sort of unspecified medical condition, and thereby preventing Michael Gansas, the captain of the vessel, from taking control and changing direction or changing course before the deadly crash occurred.

Now, investigators want to know where Michael Gansas was. They want to know how close he was to the controls and why he wasn't in there perhaps with enough time.

Now, Smith, according to the police, tried to take his life after the incident, slitting his wrists and shooting himself with a pellet gun. He is at this point in critical condition at the hospital. His lawyers say that he is unable to speak at this time, but offered a statement yesterday, essentially saying that he offered his condolences to the families who were affected by this tragedy.

Now, Smith is an 18 year veteran, again, of steering this ship. According to transportation officials, he has been cited in the past in at least two different incidents, commendated, really, for the way he handled those incidents. One was a propeller failure, the other was due to officially a mechanical failure. The NTSB says that in the coming weeks they will, in all likelihood, move this vessel to some sort of secure position so they can continue their investigation and they say that their final report in an investigation in this issue will probably take at least a year -- Bill.

HEMMER: And so long as Mr. Smith is listed in critical condition, it could be some time before he's in any type of condition to be interviewed.

Thank you, Michael.

Michael Okwu at the Staten Island ferry.

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