Charter bus breaks down in Leavenworth, WA, leaving dozens stranded

Holiday bus trip to Leavenworth, WA turns into overnight ordeal

A long-running holiday tradition took a turn when a charter bus carrying more than 50 passengers from Puyallup to Leavenworth broke down, leaving the group stranded for hours in freezing conditions.

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. - A holiday tradition for more than a decade took a frightening turn over the weekend when a charter bus carrying more than 50 passengers from Puyallup to Leavenworth broke down, leaving the group stranded for hours overnight in the cold.

The trip, organized by Puyallup mom Naomi Graham, has now gained attention online after her daughter posted about the ordeal on TikTok.

"Nowhere was anyone planning that they weren’t coming home Saturday night," said Graham.

Timeline:

Graham said concerns surfaced even before the group left Puyallup early Saturday morning. At 6:30 a.m., she said she learned that two unexpected "mechanics" were aboard the bus.

About 30 minutes into the drive, visibility inside the bus deteriorated as the windows fogged. Graham said the driver offered no fix.

"We started wiping the windshield off with paper towels," she said. "Her mechanics are sitting there doing no assistance at all, which was very confusing."

As the bus climbed Blewett Pass around 8 a.m., passengers in the front of the vehicle began messaging Graham. She says other riders expressed concern the driver was falling asleep and swerving. 

Graham said the bus missed a turn and nearly struck a semi-truck, though the group ultimately made it to Leavenworth around 10 a.m.

She recalls immediately contacting the bus company, Charter Up, and sending an email explaining that passengers did not feel safe returning on the same bus.

Charter Up acknowledged the ordeal to FOX 13 Seattle, stressing they take these reports extremely seriously. However, the company defends the only issue relayed to the company was that the driver missed an exit and needed to turn around.

"During the 10:00 AM call, we committed to working with the provider to address the defroster issue, and we did," said a Charter Up spokesperson. "Our team contacted the provider, who communicated that the defroster issue had been resolved with the driver. This issue was resolved."

The other side:

Graham said Charter Up told her a new bus would be sent. But when the group was picked up at 6:30 p.m., it was the same driver and the same malfunctioning bus.

Within three minutes of leaving Leavenworth, the bus stalled again.

Graham said the driver had to pull over because "it wouldn’t make it up the incline."

The group took shelter at the Safeway off Highway 2, where they stayed using the store’s warmth and restrooms until about 1 a.m.

"I simply wanted for the company to take responsibility and try to make accommodations for us. They didn’t even try," said Graham. "It was so disappointing and devastating for them to tell me I had to go back and tell all my guests we had no way home."

Some passengers booked hotel rooms. Others called friends and relatives, who drove hours round-trip to pick them up.

Charter Up acknowledged the incident and told FOX 13 that Graham has been fully refunded. The company is also considering additional reimbursements, including mileage and hotel costs.

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