Duck Boat And Car Crash In Downtown Boston

BOSTON (CBS) - Investigators are now trying to determine who was at fault when a Boston duck boat collided with a white Audi at the intersection of Congress and State Streets in Boston.

It was a crash that grabbed a lot of attention when witnesses heard the screeching of tires. They say it appears the duck boat and the car were merging in the same lane on State Street and both clearly couldn't fit.

"It didn't look like he could stop in time, looked like he needed more room to stop so he was skidding," said Isaac Krokovsky who was standing nearby with his family when the accident happened.

It was then the duck boat struck the back of the car and pushed it at least ten feet, as witnesses say the duck boat driver tried to take evasive action. "The duck boat hit the back of the car and made it twist. Then the duck boat carried the car up the street in a T-bone kind of thing," said witness Jennifer Krakovsky.

Police say the driver of the car suffered minor injuries as traffic came to a standstill in the busy area near the old statehouse.

The timing of the accident comes when duck boats, a popular tourist attraction, are under increasing scrutiny. In Boston, safety changes were made following the April 2016 death of Allison Warmuth who was fatally struck by a duck boat as she rode a moped.

Scrutiny has also increased since the tragic drowning of 17 people in Branson, Missouri.

James Hall, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, believes the tours put families at risk every day.

"Not fully a boat, not fully a bus. But clearly unsafe both on water and on land," Hall told WBZ-TV's Juli McDonald. "This vehicle which was designed really for military landings, should be banned for recreational use in these communities across the country."

At the scene in Boston, witnesses say it was fortunate the accident was slow moving. Passengers were put on another duck boat and taken from the scene, while the driver was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.