The owner of a tugboat that collided with a ship last month dumping nearly 170,000 gallons of oil into the Houston Ship Channel claims in court filings the ship was speeding and being operated in a reckless manner.
In court documents filed earlier this month, Houston-based Kirby Inland Marine alleges the March 22 collision was caused by gross negligence on the part of Sea Galaxy Marine, the ship’s owner.
In its own court filings, Sea Galaxy says the collision was not its fault. An attorney for Sea Galaxy declined to comment because of the ongoing investigation.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which is still investigating the accident’s cause, did not immediately return a phone call for comment. A spokesman for Kirby Inland also did not return a call.
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