OLYMPIA – The Utilities and Transportation Commission increased the penalty for Ride the Ducks of Seattle, LLC, to $308,000 Tuesday.
A settlement filed in March between transportation safety staff and Ride the Ducks proposed a $222,000 penalty.
The company admitted to violating 463 motor carrier safety rules, 159 of which are classified as acute or critical to protecting public safety. The remaining violations were related to recordkeeping.
“These violations taken as a whole reflect an insufficient approach to public safety that the commission cannot tolerate,” said commission officials.
Four college students were killed and at least 51 people were injured after a charter bus, a Ride The Ducks tour vehicle, and two smaller vehicles collided on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle last September.
Officials say the settlement will only be approved if both parties agree to the maximum penalty for each of the 159 acute, critical, and controlled substance and alcohol testing violations. The penalty for recordkeeping violations will also be increased, bringing the total fine to $308,000.
