Family of duck boat crash victims pleads for new safety measures

BOSTON — The parents of a woman killed when a Boston Duck Boat ran over her scooter are pushing legislators for tighter regulations on the sightseeing vehicle industry.

Allison Warmuth died on April 30 after police said the duck boat behind her on Charles Street rear-ended her scooter and then rolled over it.

"I miraculously survived after rolling from falling, but Alli must have gotten stuck under the duck boat," Kevan Moniri told the Joint Committee on Transportation on Thursday.

Moniri was a passenger on Warmuth's scooter when they were struck.

He, along with Warmuth's family, is advocating for a new law that would require specific safety protocols for duck boats and trolleys.

"One of the great tragedies of this accident is just how preventable it was," Moniri testified. "I believe if the driver had been exclusively focused on the road, Alli would be alive today."

The law, sponsored by Senator William Brownsberger, would require cameras and proximity sensors on the tour vehicles, and mandate a two employee team on each vehicle, splitting the duties of driving and narration.

"They say they put safety first, but they don't," said Allison's mother, Martha Warmuth. "Many times I try not to look when the duck boats go by. It hurts to see them go roaring by with their driver distracted and the huge blind spot we now know is there."

Trolley and duck boat business owners testified in opposition to the bill, warning lawmakers they would have to double their staff to accommodate a two person vehicle team; a cost they would be forced to pass on to the customer.

"This would add $10-15 to the ticket price, so my expectation would be that fewer people would be riding tour," said Old Town Trolley Tours GM John Welby. "I would need fewer staff and we would lose business."

The CEO of Boston Duck Boats told lawmakers her company had already begun implementing new safety technology, including sensors and cameras, but said any new mandates shouldn't be in place until the police investigation is complete.

"We're open to any suggestions, we are open to any improvements, but we just don't know what happened yet," Cindy Brown told FOX25. "We do everything that we can to make sure we are at the cutting edge of safety, particularly the technology."

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