Mayor Ed Murray is asking the Seattle community to donate in support of those injured by the Aurora bridge crash.
Five people died and more than 50 people were injured due to the Sept. 24 accident between a Ride the Ducks vehicle and a charter bus carrying international students from North Seattle College. Four of the students who died came from China, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea.
Donations can be made via United Way of King County at www.uwkc.org/aurora or the Foundation for the Seattle Colleges at https://www.razoo.com/story/Bus-Accident-Support. Proceeds from the United Way fund will support patients and families while the Seattle College fund will support students and staff affected by the crash.
Mayor Murray, in a press release, said many of the international students and families now have long-term medical and travel expenses.
“As a compassionate city, this community is already coming together to provide much-needed support,” Mayor Murray said in a press release.
Since the accident, a number of hotels from SeaTac to Seattle have donated lodging to affected families and some Seattle restaurants have provided foods to families and first responders.
North Seattle College created a short term counseling center and held daily gatherings for students and staff during the first week of classes. The college held a public vigil for the community on Sept. 30.
In the wake of the accident, the Ride the Ducks vehicle have come under scrutiny.
The state Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) as well as the federal National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are separately investigating the crash.
The UTC is suspending Ride the Ducks operations until their investigation is complete. The commission will inspect the Ride the Ducks vehicles and review vehicle and driver records to determine the public safety risk of the vehicles.