Florida boat crash: One dead and multiple injured after boat collides with ferry and flees scene

One person has died and multiple people have been injured after ferry and boat were involved in a catastrophic collision on Sunday evening.

The boats collided in Clearwater, Florida, near the city's Memorial Causeway Bridge on Sunday April 27, the last night of the 17-day Sugar Sand Festival, when many people were traveling back and forth by ferry.

Local officials confirmed the ferry would have been carrying over 40 people at the time it was struck. The boat involved quickly fled the scene after hitting the ferry, according to the Clearwater Police Department.

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Videos of the response circulating on X shows a long convoy of both police and EMS officials rushing to the scene as red and blue lights fill the sky. Multiple helicopters have been seen airlifting victims to nearby over the last few hours.

Clearwater Police Department confirmed on social media that nearby hospitals were notified and "multiple trauma alerts" were issued. Local officials have urged residents to avoid the area to allow emergency crews to operate efficiently.

In a statement on X The Clearwater Police Department shared: "Along with , we’re working a boat crash off the Memorial Causeway bridge that has resulted in multiple injuries. It’s been declared a mass casualty incident by the fire department due to the number of injuries. All local hospitals have been notified. Multiple trauma alerts have been called with helicopters transporting two of the more seriously injured. Drivers should avoid Memorial Causeway.

"The crash involved the Clearwater Ferry, which had more than 40 people on board. All of the injuries are from the ferry. The boat that struck the ferry fled the scene. The and will be handling the crash investigation. The ferry came to rest on a sandbar just south of the Memorial Causeway bridge. All patients and passengers have been removed from the boat."

In the latest update from police they have confirmed one person has died, writing on X: "One person has died from injuries in tonight’s boat crash. will be handing the crash investigation."

According to maritime officials speaking over a police scanner, there were "multiple red tag victims" among the injured. The term denotes a victim that has endured severe injuries but who also has a high chance for survival, according to the National Institute of Health.

The City of Clearwater said police and fire services remain a the scene. The cause of the crash and the exact number of injured persons has not been confirmed by authorities.

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