Young woman hit, killed by duck boat in Boston

BOSTON — A woman in her 20s riding a motor scooter was hit and killed by a Duck Boat in Beacon Hill Saturday.

Police said a woman was driving and a man was riding on the back of a motor scooter near Charles and Beacon Streets when a Duck Boat hit them. The motor scooter ended up under a tire of the Duck Boat.

The Duck Boat "Penelope Pru" was full of passengers at the time of the crash, around 11:30 a.m. Saturday right near Boston Common. None of the people on board of the Duck Boat were hurt, but witnesses said they were shaken up.

"They were all still on the actual boat and they were kind of crowding around looking over. Everyone looked pretty traumatized. I don't even know how you're supposed to process that," said Morgan Ralph.

Witnesses said emergency responders tried to save the young woman, as the man cried next to her. She was taken to Mass General where she later died. The man suffered non-life threatening injuries.

A friend of the victim told FOX25 that the young woman's name was Ally and she worked for AIG in Boston. She was from upstate New York and the passenger on the scooter was her boyfriend.

"She was just an incredible friend, and my life is better having known her,"  said a friend who didn't want to be identified, as he laid flowers near the crash site.

There's no word on the cause of the crash. Investigators worked all day trying to reconstruct what happened. The woman driving was talking when she was hit, according to police. Everyone who was on the Duck Boat was brought over to police headquarters to give statements.

Boston Duck Tours released a statement about the crash, "The thoughts and prayers of the Boston Duck Tours cast and crew are with the victim’s family following today’s tragic accident.  After a thorough investigation at the scene by the Boston Police, we have been informed that it may take weeks or months to receive conclusive information.  Safety is of the utmost importance to our company, and we will continue to provide our cooperation to the authorities. "

Last fall in Seattle, a Duck Boat crashed and five people died. That Duck Boat company is separate from the one in Boston.

Correction: A previous version of this story listed the deceased as a cyclist, however the story has been corrected to reflect that the duck boat hit a motor scooter. 

Cox Media Group