Philadelphia Pier 34 Collapse
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Pier 34 collapse occurred on May 18th, 2000 and caused the death of three women inside Club Heat (located on the end of the Pier) and injuries to dozens of people, as the 91-year-old structure fell into the Delaware River
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The owner of the property, and the manager of the nightclub on the pier, were later criminally charged for failure to maintain and repair its foundation, even after several warning signs had appeared in the weeks before the collapse.
bank of the Delaware River, just south of Penn's Landing
. It was originally built in the year 1909, and was used for loading coal onto ships. Later, the property was eventually sold, and a nightclub, Club Heat, was built on the section furthest from shore. The club had only been open for a week before the disaster.
The three women who died - Jean Marie Ferraro, 27, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey
, Monica Kristina Rodriguez, 21, also of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and DeAnn White, 25, of Philadelphia - were coworkers at the Camden Aquarium
out celebrating White's birthday.
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Fearing facing another trial, they both pleaded guilty. They were sentenced to 9+ months of house arrest and 1,000 hours of community service.
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
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The owner of the property, and the manager of the nightclub on the pier, were later criminally charged for failure to maintain and repair its foundation, even after several warning signs had appeared in the weeks before the collapse.
Location and history
Pier 34 is located on the Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
bank of the Delaware River, just south of Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing
Penn's Landing is the waterfront area of the Center City along the Delaware River section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is so named because the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, docked near here in 1682, along the now paved over Dock Creek, after landing first in New...
. It was originally built in the year 1909, and was used for loading coal onto ships. Later, the property was eventually sold, and a nightclub, Club Heat, was built on the section furthest from shore. The club had only been open for a week before the disaster.
Emergency response
The collapse occurred around 8 PM while the nightclub was occupied, as a section of the pier (already showing signs of shifting), fell into the cold spring waters of the Delaware River. Strong river currents, lack of light, and a large amount of debris combined with additional threats of collapse from the sections of pier still standing hampered rescue efforts.The three women who died - Jean Marie Ferraro, 27, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
, Monica Kristina Rodriguez, 21, also of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and DeAnn White, 25, of Philadelphia - were coworkers at the Camden Aquarium
Adventure Aquarium
The Adventure Aquarium, formerly the New Jersey State Aquarium, is a for-profit educational entertainment attraction operated in Camden, New Jersey on the Delaware River waterfront by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation...
out celebrating White's birthday.
Criminal charges
Based on evidence that showed both men were aware that the pier was in danger of collapse and did little to prevent it, the owner of Pier 34, Michael Asbell, and the Manager of Club Heat, Eli Karetny, were charged by the Philadelphia District Attourney's Office with 3rd degree murder and other charges, but during deliberations, the jury was unable to come to an unanimous decisionHung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
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Fearing facing another trial, they both pleaded guilty. They were sentenced to 9+ months of house arrest and 1,000 hours of community service.