A holiday tradition spanning more than a decade took a troubling turn over the weekend when a charter bus transporting more than 50 passengers from Puyallup to Leavenworth broke down, leaving the group stranded for hours overnight in cold conditions.
The trip, organized by Puyallup resident Naomi Graham, gained attention online after her daughter posted about the ordeal on TikTok.
“Nowhere was anyone planning that they weren’t coming home Saturday night,” Graham said.
Graham said concerns emerged even before the group departed Puyallup early Saturday morning. At 6:30 a.m., she learned that two unexpected “mechanics” were aboard the bus, raising questions about the vehicle’s condition.
About 30 minutes into the drive, visibility inside the bus deteriorated as windows fogged extensively. Graham said the driver offered no solution to the problem.
“We started wiping the windshield off with paper towels,” she explained. “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 appeared to be falling asleep and swerving on the mountain road.
Graham said the bus missed a turn and nearly struck a semi-truck, though the group ultimately reached Leavenworth around 10 a.m. despite the harrowing journey.
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 with the same driver.
Charter Up acknowledged the situation, stressing they take such reports extremely seriously. However, the company maintains the only issue relayed to them 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.”
Graham said Charter Up told her a new bus would be sent to retrieve the group. However, when passengers assembled for pickup at 6:30 p.m., it was the same driver operating the same malfunctioning bus.
Within three minutes of leaving Leavenworth, the bus stalled again on the mountain highway.
Graham said the driver had to pull over because “it wouldn’t make it up the incline,” leaving passengers stranded in the dark on a cold December night.
The group took shelter at the Safeway off Highway 2, where they remained using the store’s warmth and restrooms until approximately 1 a.m. while attempting to arrange alternative transportation.
“I simply wanted for the company to take responsibility and try to make accommodations for us. They didn’t even try,” Graham said. “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 for the night. Others called friends and relatives, who drove hours round-trip through mountain passes to retrieve stranded travelers.
Charter Up acknowledged the incident and confirmed that Graham has been fully refunded for the trip. The company is also considering additional reimbursements, including mileage and hotel costs incurred by passengers.
The ordeal highlights risks when charter bus mechanical issues intersect with mountain travel during winter conditions. Blewett Pass and Highway 2 present challenging routes even for well-maintained vehicles.
The presence of mechanics aboard the original bus suggests the company knew the vehicle had problems before departure. Their inability or unwillingness to address the fogging windows raises questions about their qualifications and preparedness.
The driver’s apparent drowsiness and swerving on mountain roads created life-threatening conditions. Fatigue-related accidents represent a significant hazard in commercial transportation, particularly on winding mountain highways.
The near-collision with a semi-truck demonstrates how close the group came to a potentially catastrophic accident. Missing a turn on mountain roads can result in head-on collisions or vehicles leaving the roadway.
Graham’s immediate communication with Charter Up after arrival in Leavenworth gave the company hours to arrange alternative transportation. The decision to send the same problematic bus and driver suggests inadequate response to safety concerns.
The second breakdown within minutes of departure validates passengers’ safety concerns about the vehicle’s condition. The bus’s inability to climb the incline indicates serious mechanical problems beyond the defroster issue.
Stranding more than 50 people, including families with children, in a grocery store parking lot until 1 a.m. represents a failure of emergency planning and customer service. Charter companies should maintain contingency plans for mechanical failures.
The hours passengers spent at Safeway demonstrate community businesses sometimes become emergency shelters during transportation crises. Store staff allowed the group to remain warm and use facilities during the ordeal.
