The agency’s director of transportation safety is Dave Pratt.
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An emergency official stands near a charter bus, left, and a “Ride the Ducks” amphibious tour bus following a fatal crash that killed five people Thursday, September 24, 2015, in Seattle.
Harborview Medical Center officials say the woman died with her family by her side.
Over the weekend friends held a memorial for 17-year-old Runjie Song, 37-year-old Mami Sato, 49-year-old Claudia Derschmidt and 18-year-old Ivan Putradanto. All were worldwide students from North Seattle College. All were global students heading to orientation activities.
A total of 51 people were transported to area hospitals following the accident. At least 13 remained hospitalized Sunday. Investigators say the boat did not have the recommended fix, and its front left axle was found to be sheared off.
Weener said that “Ride the Ducks worldwide, which refurbished the accident vehicle in 2005, notified its customers of a potential safety related concern in 2013”.
It’s unclear if the corporate that owns the vehicle – Ride the Ducks of Seattle – was conscious of the warning, Weener stated.
Ride the Ducks of Seattle owner Brian Tracey didn’t say in a statement Sunday night whether the company knew of the warning.
“The recorders’ group has removed the electronic engine control module, or ECM, from the motor coach and we’ll send it to our labs in Washington, D.C. for further analysis”, Weener said. The vehicle involved in the Seattle crash was an Army surplus craft built in 1945.
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Bulzomi also called attention to the many tasks drivers must perform, who act as tour guides at the same time they are operating the vehicles. The DUKW designation was replaced with the duck boat moniker that is used by various tour companies. It could take a year to determine the cause of the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday. In 2010, two tourists were killed when a tugboat pushed a barge into a similar vehicle, also in Philadelphia. The five victims who died in Thursday’s crash on the Aurora Bridge were in Seattle from around the globe, but had one thing in common-a desire to further their education in one of the most welcoming, diverse cities in the world.
