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Seattle’s duck boat company to pay up to $1 million for violations

In this Sept. 24, 2015, file photo, emergency personnel work at the scene of a fatal collision involving a charter bus, center left, and a “Ride the Ducks” amphibious tour bus on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle. (Ken Lambert /The Seattle Times / Via Associated Press)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – Ride the Ducks International has agreed to pay up to $1 million in civil penalties in an agreement reached with federal transportation officials.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday that the company violated the motor vehicle safety laws when it failed to report a defect in a front axle or initiate a recall.

The duck boat vehicle swerved into an oncoming charter bus on Seattle’s Aurora Bridge in 2015, killing five college students and injured dozens of others.

The consent order says Ride the Ducks will pay $480,000 in civil penalties and spend another $20,000 to ensure it complies with the order. The company will also pay another $500,000 in fines if it continues to violate federal motor vehicle safety laws or the consent order.

A NHTSA investigation found the duck boat involved in the crash had a front axle defect but the company did not file a defect report or initiate a recall.