apache2 fails to start because it cannot open error.log

I've checked the syslog, and found something troubling...

Jan 20 02:58:18 unassigned sm-mta[3559]: o0FAD04C017861: to=<[email protected]>, delay=4+22:45:18, xdelay=00:06:18, mailer=esmtp, pri=63390823, relay=asdfa$
Jan 20 03:00:01 unassigned /USR/SBIN/CRON[3939]: (root) CMD (if [ -x /usr/bin/vnstat ] && [ `ls /var/lib/vnstat/ | wc -l` -ge 1 ]; then /usr/bin/vnstat -u; f$
Jan 20 03:00:01 unassigned /USR/SBIN/CRON[3944]: (smmsp) CMD (test -x /etc/init.d/sendmail && /usr/share/sendmail/sendmail cron-msp)
Jan 20 03:00:01 unassigned /USR/SBIN/CRON[3949]: (www-data) CMD ([ -x /usr/lib/cgi-bin/awstats.pl -a -f /etc/awstats/awstats.conf -a -r /var/log/apache/acces$
Jan 20 03:02:48 unassigned kernel: [371919.642705] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
Jan 20 03:02:48 unassigned kernel: [371919.642754] ata3.00: BMDMA stat 0x24
Jan 20 03:02:48 unassigned kernel: [371919.642779] ata3.00: cmd 25/00:08:37:59:e2/00:00:42:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
Jan 20 03:02:48 unassigned kernel: [371919.642780]          res 51/01:00:37:59:e2/01:00:42:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
Jan 20 03:02:48 unassigned kernel: [371919.642824] ata3.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
Jan 20 03:02:48 unassigned kernel: [371919.657647] ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Jan 20 03:02:48 unassigned kernel: [371919.657661] ata3: EH complete
Jan 20 03:02:50 unassigned kernel: [371921.857580] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
Jan 20 03:02:50 unassigned kernel: [371921.857620] ata3.00: BMDMA stat 0x24
Jan 20 03:02:50 unassigned kernel: [371921.857645] ata3.00: cmd 25/00:08:37:59:e2/00:00:42:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
Jan 20 03:02:50 unassigned kernel: [371921.857646]          res 51/01:00:37:59:e2/01:00:42:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
Jan 20 03:02:50 unassigned kernel: [371921.857688] ata3.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
Jan 20 03:02:50 unassigned kernel: [371921.881468] ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371921.881479] ata3: EH complete
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371924.081382] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371924.081417] ata3.00: BMDMA stat 0x24
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371924.081443] ata3.00: cmd 25/00:08:37:59:e2/00:00:42:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 4096 in
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371924.081444]          res 51/01:00:37:59:e2/01:00:42:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371924.081487] ata3.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371924.105252] ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371924.105261] ata3: EH complete
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656925] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] 1465149168 512-byte hardware sectors (750156 MB)
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656941] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656944] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656956] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656972] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] 1465149168 512-byte hardware sectors (750156 MB)
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656979] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656982] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
Jan 20 03:02:54 unassigned kernel: [371933.656993] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
Jan 20 03:03:34 unassigned kernel: [371966.060069] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371971.776846] ata3.00: BMDMA stat 0x24
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371971.776871] ata3.00: cmd 25/00:18:87:10:ee/00:00:42:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 12288 in
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371971.776872]          res 51/01:00:87:10:ee/01:00:42:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371971.776914] ata3.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371971.800668] ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371971.800687] ata3: EH complete
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371974.157850] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371974.157885] ata3.00: BMDMA stat 0x24
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371974.157911] ata3.00: cmd 25/00:18:87:10:ee/00:00:42:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 12288 in
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371974.157912]          res 51/01:00:88:10:ee/01:00:42:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371974.157956] ata3.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371974.179773] ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371974.179786] ata3: EH complete
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.398570] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.398610] ata3.00: BMDMA stat 0x24
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.398635] ata3.00: cmd 25/00:18:87:10:ee/00:00:42:00:00/e0 tag 0 dma 12288 in
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.398636]          res 51/01:00:88:10:ee/01:00:42:00:00/e0 Emask 0x1 (device error)
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.398678] ata3.00: status: { DRDY ERR }
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423477] ata3.00: configured for UDMA/133
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423495] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Result: hostbyte=DID_OK driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE,SUGGEST_OK
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423498] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Sense Key : Medium Error [current] [descriptor]
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423501] Descriptor sense data with sense descriptors (in hex):
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423503]         72 03 13 00 00 00 00 0c 00 0a 80 00 00 00 00 00
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423508]         42 ee 10 88
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423510] sd 2:0:0:0: [sda] Add. Sense: Address mark not found for data field
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423515] end_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 1122898056
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371976.423536] ata3: EH complete
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371978.630504] ata3.00: exception Emask 0x0 SAct 0x0 SErr 0x0 action 0x0
Jan 20 03:05:48 unassigned kernel: [371978.630547] ata3.00: BMDMA stat 0x24