Motorcyclist run over by Ride the Ducks vehicle sues
May 10, 2012, 7:07 AM | Updated: 8:44 am
A Seattle motorcyclist has filed a lawsuit against the operator of Ride the Ducks after he was run over by one of the amphibious crafts last October.
Austin Porter says he heard blaring music from behind seconds before he felt the tires of a Ride the Ducks vehicle roll over his body.
The civil suit claims the Ducks are a hazard because it’s difficult for drivers to see traffic over the bulky, amphibious vehicles. Attorneys for Porter say drivers are distracted by their duties as tour guides.
Porter, an industrial designer, was stopped at a light at Third Avenue and Pike when the Duck vehicle rolled over and dragged him for several yards. Porter says his jacket snagged on the undercarriage of the vehicle and dragged him as witnesses screamed and pounded on the hull of the Duck to get the driver to stop.
There’s been no comment so far from Ride The Ducks. Their fleet of vehicles are inspected annually and drivers are certified by the Coast Guard.
A surveillance camera captured images of the crash, which have not been released by the Seattle Police Department.
Porter, 28, suffered a broken pelvis and sacrum and his medical bills so far total $500,000.
