Boston police say a duck boat struck a woman Friday afternoon as she crossed near Faneuil Hall. Officers were called around 2:50 p.m., and Boston EMS took the woman to Massachusetts General Hospital. Her condition was not immediately released.
According to NBC Boston, officers responded to the intersection of North Street and Union Street. Police said the duck boat driver was turning onto North Street when the woman was hit in a marked crosswalk. Passengers on the sightseeing vehicle got off when officers arrived, and police reported no visible damage to the duck boat. No arrests have been made, and the crash is still under investigation.
Duck Boat Safety And Earlier Crashes
Duck boats are a familiar backdrop for Freedom Trail tourists, but the vehicles have been involved in serious incidents before. In 2016, a woman was killed when her moped collided with a duck boat near Beacon and Charles streets, a crash that triggered scrutiny of operator training and oversight, according to The Boston Globe. Nationally, a 2018 sinking on Table Rock Lake that left 17 people dead led to federal indictments and renewed questions about safety standards, per the U.S. Department of Justice.
Pedestrian Safety Downtown
Traffic engineers and safety advocates say turning traffic and signal timing can heighten risks for people on foot in crowded tourist corridors. Local reporting has noted that Boston has been gradually testing signal changes such as leading pedestrian intervals that give walkers a brief head start, but use of those tools remains limited, according to WGBH. Advocates have used past crashes to push for broader protections on downtown streets, a debate that flared after earlier duck boat incidents and locally reported near misses.
What Officials Say And What Comes Next
Boston police told NBC Boston that the crash remains under investigation and that no arrests have been made. In cases like this, investigators typically review surveillance video, conduct vehicle inspections, and take witness statements, and downtown routes with heavy foot traffic can put a spotlight on signal timing and driver visibility. The episode is likely to again stir conversation about operator oversight and street safety in the city’s tourist core, a topic local outlets have continued to track, including coverage of Boston's iconic duck boats.
