A federal judge has authorized the immediate seizure of a massive asphalt carrier after the vessel lost steering on the Mississippi River and slammed into a docked passenger boat. The emergency order comes in the wake of the Friday New Orleans tanker crash that sent 32 people to local hospitals and left a river cruise vessel capsized at the dock.
Port officials moved swiftly in federal court to protect their waterfront, filing a negligence lawsuit demanding more than $1 million for structural wreckage, cleanup costs, and lost operating revenue. The legal action matters immediately for maritime traffic and regional tourism, as investigators scramble to determine how a commercial vessel lost control along one of the busiest commercial waterways in the country.
Also read: Tanker Strikes Cruise Boat on Mississippi River in New Orleans
How the New Orleans tanker crash unfolded
The collision happened around 12:30 p.m. Friday near the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans. Eyewitness reports and court filings show the Atlantic Asphalt tanker appeared to suffer steering failure as it moved along the river.
Drifting off course, the tanker struck the American Heritage, a river cruise ship tied up at the Thalia Street Terminal. The force of the impact crushed the smaller vessel, forcing the cruise ship to capsize and partially sink into the river current.
Thirty-two injured and a cruise ship underwater
Emergency medical crews transported 32 people to nearby hospitals following the collision. Local authorities reported no fatalities or critical injuries among the passengers and crew, averting a far worse catastrophe on the water.
The physical toll on port infrastructure was severe. According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the crash inflicted more than $1 million in physical damage directly on the Thalia Street Terminal facility.
Why Judge Wendy Vitter ordered the vessel arrested
Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter approved the port’s emergency request Friday afternoon, ruling that the situation justified the prompt arrest of the Atlantic Asphalt. The court issued an arrest warrant authorizing federal authorities to seize the tanker.
The lawsuit targets the vessel alongside its registered owner, Nave Shipping SA, and its management firm, Thome Ship Management Pte Ltd. Port attorneys accuse the operating companies of negligence, stating they failed to exercise proper precautions to prevent the vessel from drifting into stationary docks.
In a statement issued Saturday, management firm OSM Thome said the tanker remains stable at anchor and confirmed that the crew is cooperating with maritime officials. Have you ever wondered how quickly commercial ports respond when runaway ships threaten their docks?
Seeking a court-ordered sale
Beyond seizing the ship, the Port of New Orleans is asking the federal court for permission to put the tanker up for auction if the owners fail to cover the mounting repair bills and business losses. While Judge Vitter authorized the warrant to arrest the vessel, no sale has been ordered yet by the court.
Federal maritime investigators from the U.S. Coast Guard are continuing their inspection of the tanker’s mechanical steering systems as the court awaits confirmation that the seizure warrant has been formally executed.
Source: Fox News
