Ducks vehicle involved in minor crash; mayor calls for them to be pulled off streets

SEATTLE – A Ride the Ducks boat collided with a car in Seattle on Thursday, about six weeks after the company resumed operations following an accident that killed five people.

The Seattle Fire Department said there were no injuries in Thursday’s crash, which happened at 5th and Mercer.

A witness who saw the crash told Q13 it appeared the Ducks vehicle was taking a wide turn and didn’t see the car.

Lisa Goodfriend said, "The duck dragged the car along a little ways before he came to a stop. I couldn’t really see the car because when he stopped the first thing he said was what happened what happened.”

The Ducks vehicle was carrying a load of passengers. The driver of the car was a 92-year-old man from Sequim who wasn’t taken to the hospital.

Ride the Ducks released a statement soon after the accident:

This afternoon one of the Duck vehicles was involved in a minor accident, with no injuries. Police arrived quickly on the scene and did not cite the driver of the Duck. The Duck vehicle was making a left turn from Mercer onto 5th Avenue, with a green arrow and had the right-of-way. Eyewitness accounts indicate the other driver was attempting to make an illegal left turn. All mechanical systems on the Duck operated normally, allowing it to stop quickly and avoid injury. The scene of the minor accident was cleared within 30 minutes.

The Seattle Police later said that Thursday that the Duck driver was not at fault and no citations were issued.

Mayor Ed Murray called the the Ducks amphibious tour vehicles to pulled off Seattle's streets, but noted that the state had given them the OK and so the city would try to work with the company to ensure their safety.