Ten years ago today, a Ride the Ducks amphibious vehicle lost control on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle and collided with a charter bus carrying international students, killing five and injuring 69, according to investigators.
The crash happened shortly after 11 a.m. on Sept. 24, 2015, when a northbound “Duck 6” vehicle crossed the center line and struck a southbound bus carrying North Seattle College exchange students and staff.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board later determined the crash was caused by a mechanical defect in the Duck’s steering system, a known problem that had not been corrected.
The Collision
The Duck, carrying 36 passengers, had just left downtown Seattle and was headed toward Lake Union for the water portion of the tour.
At the same time, a Bellair Charters bus with 48 passengers was traveling south on the Aurora Bridge.
The left front axle of the Duck fractured, causing the driver to lose control.
The vehicle veered across three lanes and slammed into the bus.
The collision ripped open the bus’s side, leaving five students dead: Claudia Derschmidt, 49, from Austria; Runjie Song, 17, from China; Privando Putradanto, 18, from Indonesia; Mami Sato, 36, from Japan; and Kim Ha Ram, 20, from South Korea.
Dozens more suffered injuries. Some passengers were ejected from the Duck, while others were trapped in the wreckage.
Survivors described bodies and debris scattered across the narrow bridge deck.
Emergency Response
First responders flooded the bridge within minutes of the first 911 call.
Firefighters triaged victims on the roadway and transported the most seriously injured to Harborview Medical Center.
Restaurants and neighbors nearby offered food and assistance to rescue workers.
Investigation Findings
The NTSB’s final report in 2016 pointed to a design flaw in the Duck’s axle housing that had been identified as early as 2004.
Ride the Ducks International issued a 2013 service bulletin recommending repairs, but Ride the Ducks of Seattle had not completed the modifications on its vehicles by the time of the crash.
The agency found both the manufacturer and the Seattle operator at fault for failing to correct the defect.
Investigators also noted the steel body of the Duck vehicle pierced the side of the bus, worsening the injuries.
Neither the Duck driver nor the bus driver was blamed for the crash.
Legal and Financial Fallout
The legal battles that followed stretched over years.
Settlements and jury awards ultimately totaled more than $140 million.
In one trial, a King County jury awarded $123 million to 40 plaintiffs, assigning 70 percent of the blame to Ride the Ducks International and 30 percent to the Seattle operator.
Ride the Ducks Seattle shut down operations in 2020, years after first resuming limited service.
The company’s building near Seattle Center remains vacant.
Lasting Impact
The Aurora Bridge, built in 1932, remains largely unchanged since the crash. Critics, including victims’ attorneys, have long called for a barrier between northbound and southbound lanes.
“It breaks my heart that it is exactly in the same condition and is waiting for another accident to happen,” attorney Karen Koehler said at the five-year anniversary.
Eric Bishop, the Duck driver, was among the injured and has spoken publicly about how the crash continues to haunt him.
“I think about this every day and it will haunt me for the rest of my life,” Bishop said in 2020.
Survivors, families, and advocates say the tragedy reshaped how the city views both tourism safety and accountability for aging vehicles.
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