Four people, all international students at North Seattle College, died and 12 were seriously injured in a collision between a Ride the Ducks tour vehicle and a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge. 
 
 Update at 3:40 p.m.: The youngest victim of the crash has been identified by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office as Runjie Song, 17, of China. 
 
 
 
 Update at 1:48 p.m.: At a news conference Friday in Seattle, Earl Weener, a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said investigators will spend about a week investigating the crash in Seattle before heading back to NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C. He said the investigation could take up to a year to complete. 
 
 Weener said the agency will be focusing on the reasons for the crash – what went wrong and why it went wrong. He said Seattle police will conduct “a law enforcement investigation.” 
 
 Weener said the NTSB has investigated other crashes involving amphibious vehicles, but never one while it was operating on land. 
 
 The NTSB is asking for witness help in the form of tips, video and photos. He asked that people with information to call Seattle police at 206-233-5000. 
 
 Update at 1:07 p.m. Friday: Students from four countries were killed in Thursday’s collision on the Aurora Bridge between a tour bus of international students and a Ride the Ducks vehicle. 
 
 Those killed in the crash include Claudia Derschmidt, a 49-year-old woman from Austria; Privando Putradanto, an 18-year-old man from Indonesia; Mami Sato, a 36-year-old woman from Japan; and a 17-year-old girl from China whose name was not released because she is a minor. 
 
 Eva Kammel, Austria’s honorary consulate for Washington, Idaho and Montana, said Derschmidt had come to Seattle about two weeks ago with her 15-year-old son. She planned to take classes and improve her English as her son went to high school in the area. Derschmidt’s family has been notified of her death, Kammel said. 
 
 It is very common in Austria for a teenage student to spend a year abroad, Kammel said. So it was for Derschmidt’s son. 
 
 But in a twist, his mother — who had a great love of adventures and wanted to improve her English — decided to join her son on his semester abroad, said Kammel. The two earlier traveled to the U.S. to arrange for an apartment, then arrived in Seattle about two weeks ago with the son enrolled at Roosevelt High School and Derschmidt enrolled at North Seattle College. They were accompanied by a friend of the son’s who planned to stay for a two-week visit, Kammel said. 
 
 Kammel said Derschmidt and the two boys had made friends with a Seattle woman with ties to Germany while they were at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco when they first arrived in the states. They maintained contact and that woman and she and her family are now caring for the two teen boys, until they can return to Austria. “They are getting the best loving care there can, but it is absolutely devastating, absolutely terrible,” Kammel said. 
 
 The two boys are scheduled to fly back to Austria on Monday with Derschmidt’s body, she said. She leaves behind an older son, who is studying at a university in Austria, and a husband, Kammel said. Kammel said she did not know what Derschmidt did for work in Austria. 
 
 North Seattle College has been working with government officials to reach the other families. 
 
 Faculty, students and staff gathered on campus Friday to grieve the four students. 
 
 Original post: As a Ride the Ducks vehicle crossed the Aurora Bridge late Thursday morning, the driver told passengers it was their best chance to photograph Lake Union. Standing in the aisle, Tim Gesner had time to snap a single shot before the rear of the vehicle started to fishtail. 
 
 “And just at that moment,” Gesner said, “I heard the driver go: ‘Oh, no!’ ” 
 
 Tim Gesner, 61, of Orlando, was on the Ride the Ducks tour vehicle that collided with a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge. The crash resulted in four fatalities and numerous injuries. (Greg Gilbert / The Seattle Times) 
 
 Gesner looked up and saw the amphibious vehicle careening into oncoming traffic, headed for the side of a tour bus. The impact hurled him into the air. 
 
 “It was like I was in slow motion, bouncing off things and just feeling the pain shooting everywhere,” said the 61-year-old from Orlando, Fla. 
 
 When he came to rest, several rows up, he had a bloody nose and his neck and back hurt. But Gesner quickly realized others were in much worse shape. 
 
 “I turned and looked, and that’s when I saw the carnage,” he said. 
 
 Four people died in the crash, all international students at North Seattle College out for a day of sightseeing and orientation on the tour bus before the start of classes on Monday. An additional 12 people, including students, were critically or seriously hurt, and more than 30 suffered minor injuries. 
 
 Gesner — who was in town with his wife, Susan, to visit her son — saw one of his fellow Duck passengers lying on the ground in a pool of blood. 
 
 “People I was sitting next to weren’t there … they had been thrown completely out of the back of the Duck,” he said, lying on a gurney in the emergency room at Virginia Mason Medical Center after the crash. His wife sustained a shoulder injury. 
 
 Gesner said he walked around the scene, trying to help. 
 
 “It just really takes it out of you when you see a paramedic walk up to a lady and put his fingers on her neck and her wrist and she is not breathing,” he said. 
 
 Two other witnesses to the deadly collision said something seemed to be wrong with the Duck vehicle moments before the crash. 
 
 Brad Volm, 23, of Philadelphia, was driving one of two SUVs also involved in the crash. He collided head-on with the other SUV when it swerved to avoid the bus and the Duck vehicle. 
 
 “It all happened so fast,” said Volm, who was on a cross-country trip with a friend. 
 
 “I got out of my car and there were bodies just everywhere. People laying in the street.” 
 
 Victims of a fatal collision between a Ride the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge are sent at Harborview Medical Center. WARNING: Contains graphic images. (Seattle Times Staff) 
 
 Volm said he noticed red fluid leaking from the Duck’s front left tire area just before the crash. 
 
 Jesse Christenson, 32, of Portland, was driving north over the bridge behind the Duck vehicle at 11:11 a.m. He saw it signal to move into the left lane, then swerve violently left. 
 
 At first, he thought it had a blowout. But then he got a close-up view after the accident. “It looked like the wheel on the Duck bus broke off,” Christenson said. “There was a wheel assembly in front of the Duck boat.” 
 
 Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole said Thursday evening that it was too early to draw any conclusions as to the cause of the deadly crash, which will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. 
 
 The Aurora Bridge reopened late Thursday night. 
 
 North Seattle College President Warren Brown said 48 students and staff from the school’s international program were on the bus, one of two chartered for the orientation. The group was headed toward Safeco Field. 
 
 The international students killed in the crash were identified Friday morning as Claudia Derschmidt, a 49-year-old woman from Austria; Privaudo Putradauto, an 18-year-old man from Indonesia; and Mami Sato, a 37 year-old woman from Japan. The name of a 17-year-old girl from China has not been released because she is a minor. 
 
 Faculty, students and staff gathered on campus Friday morning to grieve the four students. Mixon says “sad” doesn’t begin to describe how people are feeling at the diverse college. About 900 of the college’s 4,000 students per quarter are from outside the U.S. 
 
 Rujia Xie, a 16-year-old from China, was on the bus. She said glass fell on the passengers’ faces and some people jumped from the bus. 
 
 “We didn’t see anything. Just the sound. The smell of gas,” Xie said, holding a bag of ice against bruises on her face as she left the North Seattle College campus, where some of the less seriously injured students were taken. 
 
 The left side of the bus was caved in by the collision. Seattle firefighters evaluated more than 50 people for injuries. Bleeding and stunned victims were laid out on yellow tarps in a makeshift triage area on the bridge. 
 
 “We’ve had a terrible tragedy,” Mayor Ed Murray said during a news briefing. “The thoughts and prayers of this city go out to everyone ­— the families and those impacted.” 
 
 Ride the Ducks President and CEO Brian Tracey said hearing about the crash was “gut-wrenching.” 
 
 “Getting word of the news, the people that were injured, you feel like you’ve been punched in the stomach,” Tracey said outside the Ride the Ducks headquarters near Seattle Center. “We’re admired and loved in this city. It’s devastating.” 
 
 The captain of the Duck vehicle was taken to a hospital, but Tracey said he didn’t know the extent of the injuries. 
 
 The Ride the Ducks tour voluntarily pulled its vehicles from the street, Murray said. 
 
 The distinctive, six-wheeled Duck vehicles are a common sight around downtown Seattle, particularly in summer. Tourists pay up to $29 for what’s described as a “party on wheels,” with singalongs and a route that includes the Space Needle, Pioneer Square and a plunge into Lake Union. 
 
 The Duck name is derived from the designation DUKW for vehicles used as landing craft by the U.S. military during World War II. 
 
 Seattle’s nearly 40 Ride the Ducks captains are known for changing hats and pulling out puppets during tours, but Tracey said they only use props when stopped at a light or waiting to turn. 
 
 The drivers are trained to look straight ahead, even when talking to tourists, he added. 
 
 “We train and train and train and have ongoing continuing-education classes with our captains and our drivers to make sure they’re being safe all the time,” he said. 
 
 The vehicles are equipped with multiple cameras and mirrors, and are inspected annually by the state Department of Transportation and the Coast Guard. 
 
 But they are not required to have seat belts, which Tracey acknowledged “might not be a bad idea.” 
 
 The bus involved in the collision is owned by Bellair Charters & Airporter in Ferndale, Whatcom County. General Manager Richard Johnson told The Bellingham Herald that the driver was not injured but is struggling to grapple with the aftermath of the crash. 
 
 The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, which regulates Bellair Charters and Ride the Ducks, will inspect vehicle and driver records to determine if the companies complied with safety regulations. 
 
 Because those killed in the crash were international students, government officials are working to contact next of kin before releasing their names, according to the college. The 48 students on the bus were from six countries. 
 
 Murray said the city has been in touch with the governor’s office and the State Department to assist families of the victims. 
 
 The Seattle Hotel Association has offered to provide rooms for victims’ family members as they arrive in Seattle, he said. 
 
 Sixteen victims, including those with the most serious injuries, were being treated Thursday night at Harborview Medical Center. Less seriously injured patients were sent to other area hospitals. 
 
 Gesner said he and his wife considered prebooking their seats so they could be in the front row for their tour. But now, he’s relieved they were the last to arrive for the 10:30 a.m. tour, because it put them at the rear of the vehicle. 
 
 “Talk about fate and everything happening for a reason,” he said. 
 
 Read the coverage as the story developed. ||||| Questions eclipse shock after fatal bridge crash 1 still in critical condition Saturday as others upgraded 
 
 Seattle Police officers look under a "Ride the Ducks" tourist vehicle as a tire and wheel from the bus sits nearby before the bus is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal crash with a charter passenger bus earlier in the day in Seattle. (Warning, some graphic content ahead) less Seattle Police officers look under a "Ride the Ducks" tourist vehicle as a tire and wheel from the bus sits nearby before the bus is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP 
 
 Police officers and other officials watch as a Ride the Ducks tourist vehicle is loaded onto a flat-bed tow truck in the late evening Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal crash with a charter passenger bus earlier in the day in Seattle. less Police officers and other officials watch as a Ride the Ducks tourist vehicle is loaded onto a flat-bed tow truck in the late evening Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal crash with a ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP 
 
 A cyclist pauses on the Aurora Bridge as he passes a memorial to the victims of Thursday's deadly accident. A cyclist pauses on the Aurora Bridge as he passes a memorial to the victims of Thursday's deadly accident. Photo: Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com 
 
 Seattle Mayor Ed Murray speaks at a news conference Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, about the Aurora Bridge crash. At left is Warren Brown, president of North Seattle College. At right is Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole and Seattle Transportation Director Scott Kubly. less Seattle Mayor Ed Murray speaks at a news conference Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, about the Aurora Bridge crash. At left is Warren Brown, president of North Seattle College. At right is Seattle Police Chief Kathleen ... more Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-5', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 5', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 A towing worker stands in front of a charter passenger bus that was involved in a fatal crash with a "Ride the Duck"s tourist vehicle earlier in the day, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Seattle. A towing worker stands in front of a charter passenger bus that was involved in a fatal crash with a "Ride the Duck"s tourist vehicle earlier in the day, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Seattle. Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP 
 
 A "Ride the Ducks" tourist vehicle, center, is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck in the late evening Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal crash with the charter passenger bus, left, and other vehicles in Seattle. less A "Ride the Ducks" tourist vehicle, center, is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck in the late evening Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal crash with the charter passenger bus, left, and ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP 
 
 A plant arrangement and a card are seen near the main entrance to North Seattle College, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after multiple students in the college's international program were killed when the charter bus they were riding in to an orientation event was hit by a Ride the Ducks tourist vehicle in Seattle. less A plant arrangement and a card are seen near the main entrance to North Seattle College, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after multiple students in the college's international program were killed when the charter bus ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP 
 
 Seattle Police officers photograph the front tire and wheel of a "Ride the Ducks" tourist vehicle before the bus is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal crash with a charter passenger bus earlier in the day in Seattle. less Seattle Police officers photograph the front tire and wheel of a "Ride the Ducks" tourist vehicle before the bus is loaded onto a flatbed tow truck Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, after it was involved in a fatal ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-10', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 10', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 A Seattle Police investigator walks off of a charter passenger bus at left that was involved in a fatal crash with the Ride the Ducks tourist vehicle at right, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Seattle. A Seattle Police investigator walks off of a charter passenger bus at left that was involved in a fatal crash with the Ride the Ducks tourist vehicle at right, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Seattle. Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP 
 
 Kuen Shouh Wu speaks to members of the media at North Seattle College on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Seattle. Wu says his daughter, Ming Chao Wu, was on the charter bus that collided with a "Ride the Ducks" amphibious tour bus. She was not hurt. less Kuen Shouh Wu speaks to members of the media at North Seattle College on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in Seattle. Wu says his daughter, Ming Chao Wu, was on the charter bus that collided with a "Ride the Ducks" ... more Photo: Lisa Baumann, AP 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Four were killed with scores injured in the horrific wreck. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Four were killed with scores injured in the horrific wreck. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores injured in the horrific wreck. less First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores injured in the horrific ... more Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-15', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 15', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores injured in the horrific wreck. less Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores ... more Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 Four fatalities and nine critical injuries were reported after a Ride the Ducks duck boat collided with a charter bus on Aurora Bridge in central Seattle. Four fatalities and nine critical injuries were reported after a Ride the Ducks duck boat collided with a charter bus on Aurora Bridge in central Seattle. Photo: KOMO 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-20', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 20', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 People with bandaged arms stand next to a bus that was involved in the crash with a Ride the Ducks tour bus and several other vehicles, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and numerous others critically injured in the crash that happened on a bridge over Lake Union. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) less People with bandaged arms stand next to a bus that was involved in the crash with a Ride the Ducks tour bus and several other vehicles, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-25', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 25', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 Emergency personnel tend to an injured man after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel tend to an injured man after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 Emergency personnel respond at the scene of a crash involving a charter bus and amphibious tour vehicle Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and numerous others critically injured in the crash that happened on a bridge over Lake Union. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) less Emergency personnel respond at the scene of a crash involving a charter bus and amphibious tour vehicle Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and numerous ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-30', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 30', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 Investigators look over the wheel of a Ride the Ducks tour vehicle after an accident on the Aurora Bridge. Investigators look over the wheel of a Ride the Ducks tour vehicle after an accident on the Aurora Bridge. 
 
 A body is removed from the scene of a wreck involving a Ride the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus on Seattle's Aurora Bridge on Sept. 24, 2015. A body is removed from the scene of a wreck involving a Ride the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus on Seattle's Aurora Bridge on Sept. 24, 2015. 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-35', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 35', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. First responders work the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-40', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 40', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 Emergency personnel tend to an injured woman after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel tend to an injured woman after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 A Ride the Ducks tour bus that was involved in a crash with several other vehicles can be seen behind an ambulance as officials respond, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and numerous others critically injured in the crash that happened on a bridge over Lake Union. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) less A Ride the Ducks tour bus that was involved in a crash with several other vehicles can be seen behind an ambulance as officials respond, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 
 
 Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores injured in the horrific wreck. less Emergency personnel carry injured people to ambulances after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores ... more Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-45', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 45', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 The aftermath of a wreck involving a Ride the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus on Seattle's Aurora Bridge on Sept. 24, 2015. The aftermath of a wreck involving a Ride the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus on Seattle's Aurora Bridge on Sept. 24, 2015. 
 
 Emergency vehicles surround the site of a deadly crash between a charter bus and an amphibious tour vehicle in Seattle on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and numerous others critically injured in the crash that happened on a bridge over Lake Union. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) less Emergency vehicles surround the site of a deadly crash between a charter bus and an amphibious tour vehicle in Seattle on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and ... more Photo: Elaine Thompson, Associated Press 
 
 The scene of a crash on the Aurora Bridge is shown looking south from Fremont. The scene of a crash on the Aurora Bridge is shown looking south from Fremont. 
 
 An ambulance leaves the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores injured in the horrific wreck. less An ambulance leaves the scene after a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. At least four were killed with scores injured in the horrific ... more Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-50', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 50', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 First responders load a wounded person into a ambulance after a charter bus collided with a Ride the Ducks vehicle on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle on Sept. 24, 2015. First responders load a wounded person into a ambulance after a charter bus collided with a Ride the Ducks vehicle on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle on Sept. 24, 2015. Photo: Seattlepi.com 
 
 A server from luxury restaurant Canlis serves food to first responders after a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. The restaurant closed for the first time to serve food to those working the crash scene on the Aurora Bridge. less A server from luxury restaurant Canlis serves food to first responders after a Ride the Ducks tour bus collided on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, September 24, 2015. The restaurant closed for the first time to ... more Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM 
 
 Ambulances arrive at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle following a crash between a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks vehicle. Ambulances arrive at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle following a crash between a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks vehicle. Photo: Seattlepi.com 
 
 A victim from a crash involving a charter bus and amphibious tour vehicle is loaded into an ambulance, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and numerous others critically injured in the crash that happened on a bridge over Lake Union. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) less A victim from a crash involving a charter bus and amphibious tour vehicle is loaded into an ambulance, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 in Seattle. Seattle fire officials say four people have been killed and numerous ... more Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-55', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 55', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 A 'Ride the Ducks' vehicle was involved in a crash with a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle on Sept. 24, 2015. A 'Ride the Ducks' vehicle was involved in a crash with a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle on Sept. 24, 2015. Photo: KOMO 
 
 Multiple injuries were reported Thursday after a Ride the Ducks duck boat collided with a charter bus on Aurora Bridge in central Seattle. Multiple injuries were reported Thursday after a Ride the Ducks duck boat collided with a charter bus on Aurora Bridge in central Seattle. Photo: KOMO 
 
 A Ride the Ducks duck boat collided with a charter bus on Aurora Bridge in central Seattle. A Ride the Ducks duck boat collided with a charter bus on Aurora Bridge in central Seattle. Photo: KOMO 
 
 The Seattle Department of Transportation shows emergency crews responding to a Sept. 24 wreck on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle. The Seattle Department of Transportation shows emergency crews responding to a Sept. 24 wreck on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle. Photo: SDOT 
 
 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-60', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 60', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Photo: Ted S. Warren, AP Image 1 of / 60 Caption Close Questions eclipse shock after fatal bridge crash 1 / 60 Back to Gallery 
 
 Seattle's Ride the Ducks operation has been paused indefinitely as the investigation continues into the cause of Thursday's crash on Aurora Bridge. 
 
 Shortly after 11 a.m., one of the amphibious tourist vehicles headed north on the bridge spun out of control and hit a southbound charter bus carrying 45 North Seattle College students and staff. Four people were killed and dozens were injured in the wreck, which saw state Route 99 – a major Seattle thoroughfare – closed for more than 12 hours. 
 
 The cause of the crash remains unclear, and witness reports of a catastrophic failure on one of the duck boat’s six wheels remain unproven. The Seattle Police Department and National Transportation Safety Board are conducting parallel investigations. 
 
 The dead have been identified as the following: 
 
 Claudia Derschmidt, a 49-year-old woman from Austria in Seattle with her 15-year-old son. She died of various blunt force injuries. 
 
 Privando Putradanto, an 18-year-old man from Indonesia. He died of head injuries. 
 
 Mami Sato, a 36 year-old woman from Japan. She died of head injuries. 
 
 Runjie Song, a 17-year-old girl from China. She died of various blunt force injuries. 
 
 Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said Ride the Ducks boats have been pulled from the city's streets indefinitely. The company owner agreed to suspend operations, Murray said. 
 
 "They remain off the road, and will remain off the road until we come to a decision on how to proceed," Murray said Friday morning. 
 
 "There are safety questions that we've got to answer," the mayor continued, noting that NTSB investigators are keenly interested in determining whether duck boats are safe. Tourists flock to the amphibious vehicles at cities around the country, as they had been in Seattle before the crash. 
 
 Next comes the job of pinpointing a cause of the deadly wreck. The focus in the hours and days ahead will be on the duck boat, as investigators try to determine why it veered into oncoming traffic. 
 
 While police have been tight-lipped so far, a Seattle Police Department spokesperson did say there was no indication that the Duck driver was drunk or otherwise impaired during the crash. Additional details may be released Friday afternoon, though Chief Kathleen O’Toole warned that investigators have “an extraordinarily complicated and thorough investigation” ahead of them. 
 
 Seattle police have been looking into witness reports that a mechanical failure on the Ride the Ducks vehicle may have caused it to spin. 
 
 Police also have set up a hot line and are asking anyone who saw the accident to call investigators. That hot line number is 206-233-5000. 
 
 All told, 51 people were injured seriously enough to be taken to eight hospitals. More than a dozen victims were initially listed in critical condition following the crash. By Friday morning, that number had dropped to one, who was being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. That unnamed patient was still listed in critical condition in a Saturday morning update by Harborview. 
 
 
 
 A survivor of the Sept. 24, 2015, crash on Aurora Bridge in Seattle speaks about her ordeal. 
 
 Fourteen other patients from the crash were at Harborview: Eight are serious in intensive care; six are satisfactory and not in intensive care. Two patients at UW Medical Center and one patient at Northwest Hospital and Medical Center were listed as satisfactory. 
 
 The crash occurred at 11:13 a.m. Thursday, blocking all lanes of the bridge. More than 90 firefighters responded, pulling passengers who couldn’t free themselves from the wrecked vehicles. 
 
 Brad Volm of Philadelphia, a driver behind the Ride the Ducks vehicle, said the amphibious vehicle swerved in front of him. The left front tire of the duck boat appeared to lock up, and the vehicle swerved into the oncoming charter bus, he said. 
 
 The students on the bus were members of an international program, which accounts for about one-fifth of the college’s 5,000-student body. They were headed to Pike Place Market and a new-student orientation at Safeco Field. 
 
 Announcing that the college would reopen Monday, North Seattle College President Warren Brown described the former community college as a place of learning that draws students from around the world. 
 
 “It’s just absolutely devastating that (these students) won’t have that opportunity,” Brown said. 
 
 Family members of those hurt and killed were on their way to Seattle on Friday. Alaska and Delta Airlines have agreed to provide transportation, Murray said, and several Seattle hotels were offering free lodging. 
 
 Distance and language complicated the work of first responders tasked with notifying the families of those injured, O’Toole said. 
 
 Photo: Provided By The Moody Family Seattle Ride the Ducks passengers Greg Moody, Patricia Moody and... 
 
 "We have students from around the world, so we want to make sure we do it properly but very sensitively," the chief said. 
 
 Seattle Fire Department Lt. Sue Stengl said the "pure immensity of the incident" was the greatest challenge to first responders. Injured were triaged at the scene, with the most severely hurt survivors being rushed away by ambulance. 
 
 Immediately after the wreck, video from the scene showed passengers being removed on backboards. Most of the people came off the bus without assistance, with many walking to the medics, Stengl said. Firefighters cut through the vehicles to rescue people trapped inside; a half-hour would pass before the fire department could confirm that the injured had been pulled free. 
 
 Registered nurse Jahna Byer was on a Metro bus when the crash occurred. After the bus stopped for the incident, he and companion Larry Smith walked to the scene to find people collapsing on the roadway after freeing themselves from the wrecked vehicles. 
 
 There was "a lot of blood and crying," said Byer, visibly traumatized by the ordeal. 
 
 "Glass was everywhere," Smith added. He, too, was shaking as he spoke. 
 
 Byer praised the work of first responders at the scene. 
 
 "They were so on top (of) everything," she said. "They saved a lot of lives because of it." 
 
 Harborview spokeswoman Susan Gregg said those hurt in the wreck sustained a range of injuries. Several suffered facial injuries and cuts; head injuries were also common, as were impact injuries to people thrown about in the crash. 
 
 Students who were able to leave the scene were taken to North Seattle College's campus, where they were met by counselors and helped to contact their families. 
 
 Damage to the tour bus, belonging to Ferndale, Washington-based Bellair Charters, appeared extensive. It and the duck boat were taken to a South Seattle lot for examination. 
 
 Ride the Ducks Seattle President Brian Tracey said the company has made its vehicles as safe as possible, with redundant mirrors and cameras, and trains its drivers to be especially cautious on the Aurora Bridge, according to KOMO News. 
 
 Ride the Ducks uses modified DUKW amphibious vehicles first fielded by the U.S. Army during World War II. The six-wheeled trucks are 31 feet long and eight feet wide, and weigh about six tons. In Seattle, as elsewhere, they're a popular tourist attraction to the annoyance of some drivers. 
 
 The state Utilities and Transportation Commission issued Ride the Ducks a satisfactory rating in a 2012 evaluation that examined driver qualifications, employee drug and alcohol testing and vehicle maintenance records. Bellair Charters received a satisfactory rating from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2013, according to the UTC. 
 
 About 45,000 vehicles travel on the 83-year-old Aurora Bridge daily, according to the state Department of Transportation. Thursday's collision marked the first fatality on the bridge since 1999, according to crash data from the state Department of Transportation. The data show 144 crashes on the bridge since 2005, with 18 involving vehicles traveling in opposite directions. 
 
 Seattlepi.com reporters Jake Ellison, Scott Sunde and Daniel DeMay and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 
 
 Seattlepi.com reporter Lynsi Burton can be reached at 206-448-8381 orlynsiburton@seattlepi.com. Follow Lynsi on Twitter at @LynsiBurton_PI.
– Four people killed when a Ride the Ducks amphibious vehicle collided with a bus in Seattle yesterday have been identified as international students at North Seattle College. Authorities say they were among 48 staff and students from six countries who were touring the city on a chartered bus before classes started Monday. Another 51 people were injured in the crash, including 15 critically, though some have been upgraded to serious condition, reports SeattlePI.com. "I turned and looked, and that's when I saw the carnage," a 61-year-old passenger on the Ducks vehicle tells the Seattle Times. "People I was sitting next to weren't there … they had been thrown completely out of the back of the Duck." He says he felt the rear of the vehicle fishtail before the crash. "And just at that moment, I heard the driver go: 'Oh, no!'" A witness originally said the Ducks vehicle experienced some kind of malfunction and perhaps lost a wheel before the crash. A man driving one of two SUVs also involved in the accident agrees something went wrong, noting he saw red fluid leaking from the Duck's front left tire, which appeared to seize up, before the vehicle slammed into the driver's side of the bus. Seattle police say they're investigating a possible mechanical failure on the Ducks vehicle but add it's too early to pinpoint a cause of the accident. "We've had a terrible tragedy," Mayor Ed Murray says. "The thoughts and prayers of this city go out to everyone—the families and those impacted." He adds the Ride the Ducks tour has voluntarily taken its vehicles off Seattle's streets for now.