New information indicates that the cargo ship that collided with the Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore overnight was piloted by a specialized crew trained to avoid obstacles at ports.
The ship, a 948-foot-long DALI operated by Singaporean company Synergy Group, collided with the 1.2-mile bridge shortly after 1:26 am as it departed the Port of Baltimore.
During a Tuesday morning press conference, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld announced that none of the 22 crew members appeared to have been injured. He also disclosed that the cargo ship was under the guidance of specialist pilots at the time of the incident.
“Pilots move ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore,” he said at a press conference, noting that the specialist pilots depart the ships as soon as they are in open water.
Authorities promptly dismissed the catastrophe as intentional or terrorist-related. An initial report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) indicated that the container ship experienced a “loss of propulsion” while departing from port.
“The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had lost control of the vessel and an allision with the bridge was possible,” the report said. “The vessel struck the bridge