Authorities continue to investigate a freak ferry accident off Long Island that killed the driver of an 18-wheeler Tuesday, Nov. 19. The results of those investigations could lead to policy changes about people remaining in their vehicles on Block Island ferries.

Mike Zuber, 53, of Stratford, Conn., was apparently in the cab of the tractor-trailer when it rolled backward off the deck of the ferry Susan Anne, bound from New London to Orient Point on Long Island. The truck was parked at the very rear of the ferry and may not have been properly secured. According to Southold, L.I. Town Police, the Western Star truck and flatbed trailer plunged into 75 feet of water between Orient Point and Plum Island at around 10 a.m.

Zuber was seen floating unconscious soon after the accident by a Plum Island ferry crewman, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Ensign Robert Bilbo. The crew of the Susan Anne, using a small boat launched from the ferry, pulled Zuber from the water.

Zuber was later pronounced dead at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport.

The cause of death was drowning, said Sgt. John Twiname, homicide detective with the Suffolk County Police. Authorities expect more details will emerge during the course of the investigation.

A contributing factor may have been that chocks (blocks used to secure vehicles) were not placed against the wheels of the heavy truck, Twiname said. Coast Guard regulations require that vehicles at the end of ferry decks "shall have wheels securely blocked," but Suffolk County Police determined that the chocks had not been set.

Suffolk County Police divers were scheduled to inspect the sunken tractor-trailer on Thursday. One question divers hope to answer is whether the truck's parking brakes had been set.

The accident occurred in Plum Gut, a passage known for swift currents and sometimes-heavy seas. On Tuesday morning, however, skies were clear and seas relatively calm, with two-foot swells still running from a storm that passed Monday.

The truck crashed through the steel chains and posts that line the stern of the 250-foot ferry and dropped into 55-degree waters.

The Susan Anne, owned by Cross Sounding Ferry of New London, left its home port at 9 a.m. for the 80-minute trip.

Cross Sounding Ferry is owned by John Peter Wronowski, brother of Sue Linda, an owner and president of Interstate Navigation, Block Island's year-round ferry provider. There are no business connections between the companies, said Interstate attorney Michael McElroy.

Heavy load

Zuber, who drove for Big East Equipment Company of Branford, Conn., was hauling a track crusher, a large machine used to recycle materials in excavation projects. A company spokesperson, Kimberly Zevetchin, said the run was routine for Zuber and Big East, which rents and sells large construction equipment.

"We don't know if he made it out of the cab or was ejected," said Zevetchin. "We don't have the answers to what happened."

Cross Sounding Ferry, like Interstate Navigation, apparently allows drivers and passengers to stay on the ferry deck with their cars. Zevetchin said that, as a frequent traveler on the ferries, "They never stopped us from staying in our vehicles."

Cross Sound Ferry would not comment on the incident but said it was working closely with authorities on the matter.

The accident may lead Interstate Navigation to reassess its rules about passengers remaining in their cars and trucks on ferries from Point Judith and New London to Block Island. Josh Linda, vice-president of Interstate Navigation, said Wednesday, "In light of what happened, we may have to review that policy pending the results of the Coast Guard investigation."

He added that Interstate always uses rubber chocks to secure large trucks on the decks of its ferries.

The bizarre accident delayed the travel of about 50 passengers aboard the Susan Anne for three hours as officials searched for details and sought to determine if Zuber was the only passenger who went overboard. The ferry came to a dead stop and waited for boats from the Coast Guard and the local fishing fleet to respond, but passengers were not immediately informed about the accident, according to Long Island's Newsday. Passengers first learned that the truck had gone overboard through cellular phone calls, the paper reported.

Some passengers described metallic clanging sounds and vibrations as the truck went overboard, breaking chains and scraping its bottom against the ship's transom.

The deck of the Susan Anne has openings at both the bow and stern, allowing cars and trucks to drive straight onto the ferry. Cars on the stern-loading Interstate ferries must back on.

The 250-foot Susan Anne was built in 1964. Formerly used from Nova Scotia to Prince Edward Island, it was purchased by Cross Soundings in 1998 and modernized for use between New London and Orient Point, a passage that is popular with drivers seeking to avoid heavy traffic around New York City. The Susan Anne is 75 feet longer than Block Island's Carol Jean ferry and holds 80 cars and 840 passengers.

Zuber had worked several years with Big East. "He is not replaceable," Zevetchin said. "He was happy and honest."

Zuber served three tours in Vietnam with the 182nd Airborne. He leaves a wife and three children. Big East has established a fund for the Zuber family. Donations can be sent to Big East, 25 East Industrial Road, Branford, Conn., 06405, care of Francine.