1 dead, multiple injured after boat collides with ferry in Clearwater, Florida

One person was killed and many others were injured after a boat crashed with a ferry in Clearwater, Florida, on Sunday night, according to officials.

The Clearwater Ferry was carrying 45 people when a boat struck it and fled, the city of Clearwater said in a statement. The ferry came to a rest on a sandbar beneath the Memorial Causeway Bridge.

“We believe that the boat responsible for hitting the ferry left the scene immediately, and we believe that our law enforcement partners may have that boat,” Clearwater Police spokesperson Rob Shaw said.

Two seriously injured passengers were flown by helicopter to hospitals, the police department said. According to an Orlando Health representative, one patient was admitted to Bayfront Hospital with a femur fracture and another with undetermined injuries.

The event occurred at the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Clearwater.  The Seventh Coast Guard District alerted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg about 8:40 p.m., according to X.

The boat came to a stop on a sandbar just south of the bridge, and all other passengers were safely evacuated, authorities said.

The cause of the crash remains unclear.

According to investigators, two of the 45 persons on board were crew members.

The United States Coast Guard said it was notified of the collision and that crews from the Station Sand Key and partner agencies were on the scene.

Drivers are advised to avoid the Memorial Causeway while emergency services stay on the site.

Clearwater police stated the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will lead the investigation into the collision.