Washington state suspends Ride the Ducks operations pending probe

OLYMPIA, Wash. _ Washington state’s Utilities and Transportation Commission has suspended all Ride the Ducks operations pending a full investigation of the company’s fleet of amphibious tour vehicles.tmpplchld The commission, which regulates commercial motor carriers, took the emergency action during a special meeting Monday in the commission’s Olympia offices.tmpplchld “Our hearts go out to the families of all the victims, and we commend the first responders who came to their aid,” said commission Chairman David Danner.tmpplchld The meeting came one day after a 20-year-old woman died of injuries suffered in Thursday’s crash on the Aurora Bridge, the fifth death from the collision between a Ride the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus. tmpplchld All five victims were students at North Seattle College. Dozens of others were injured.tmpplchld The UTC said Sunday that it would inspect all Seattle Duck vehicles and driver records. Ride the Ducks of Seattle has kept its fleet idle since the crash, and the commission’s action Monday prevents the company from resuming operations until inspections are complete. tmpplchld Brian Tracey, chief executive of Ride the Ducks of Seattle, said the Ducks would stay off the road until “we can demonstrate that our fleet is well-maintained, road-worthy and safe.” He said the company would continue to cooperate fully with investigators.tmpplchld A federal investigator said Sunday that the Duck vehicle involved in the crash did not receive a safety fix recommended by the company that refurbishes the amphibious tour vehicles.tmpplchld National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said Ride the Ducks International, headquartered in Atlanta, found a potentially dangerous failure point in the amphibious World War II-era vehicles’ axle housing in 2013 and recommended a fix in a notice to companies that use them.tmpplchld The Duck involved in Thursday’s crash did not receive that fix, Weener said at a news conference. It’s unclear whether the Seattle Ride the Ducks business received the warning.tmpplchld Nine victims of the crash remain at Harborview Medical Center, including three in serious condition in intensive care, spokeswoman Susan Gregg said Monday. The woman who died Sunday had been in critical condition since the accident.tmpplchld Six are satisfactory and not in intensive care. tmpplchld tmpplchld ___tmpplchld (c)2015 The Seattle Timestmpplchld Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.comtmpplchld Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tmpplchld