Family Of Duck Boat Crash Victim Supports New Safety Proposals
BOSTON (CBS) — The parents of a 28-year-old woman struck and killed by a duck boat earlier this year say they support a bill that would increase safety regulations for the amphibious vehicles.
Ivan and Martha Warmuth joined lawmakers at the State House Wednesday to announce the filing of the bill.
Their daughter, Allison Warmuth, was killed on April 30 when the scooter she was riding on was struck by a Boston Duck Tours vehicle at Beacon and Charles Streets.
"This was a preventable accident," said Ivan Warmuth. "My daughter did nothing wrong. The accident was a result of systemic flaws in the design, safety equipment, and operation of these vehicles."
More: Mother Of Woman Killed In Crash With Duck Boat Says Daughter's Death 'Left A Big Hole'
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. William Brownsberger, would require blind spot cameras on duck boats. It would also stipulate that tours must be run with both a driver and a tour operator, and not by one person filling both roles.
"You should have a driver, and someone who's talking people through the tour," Brownsberger told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens. "And that's the practice in many tours, but not all, and we would simply require that that be the practice in all tours. It's a much safer practice."
"We are convinced that, had these two requirements been in place, our daughter would be alive today," said Ivan Warmuth. "There may be many additional measures that could be taken, but these two are obvious important first steps."
"We're not trying to eliminate the street/water tourist experience, but just to make it safe," he added.
More: Citing Deaths, Lawyer Calls For Ban Of Duck Boats
Lawmakers hope to get the bill passed before the session ends in July, and Gov. Charlie Baker has said he looks forward to reviewing the legislation.
Boston Duck Tours said in a statement Wednesday that, since the crash that killed Allison Warmuth, they have added a new camera on each of their vehicles and plan to add extra sensors to each vessel's front and rear.
"Safety has always been the number one priority for Boston Duck Tours," the company said in the statement. "We have rigorous standards, training and oversight along with a fleet of modern duck boats, designed to insure the safety of the motoring public and pedestrians."
The driver of the duck boat that killed Warmuth, Victor Tavares, is still on leave pending the conclusion of the official accident investigation.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
