What Happened?
A deadly limo accident killed 20 people after it crashed into a parked car and two pedestrians in upstate New York on Saturday, Oct. 6.
The driver failed to stop at a stop sign before an intersection in Schoharie, New York, and the limo hit a parked Toyota Highlander, which struck two pedestrians. All 18 passengers in the vehicle, including the driver, and two pedestrians died.
The limo was rented in celebration of a birthday party. Among the victims were parents, four sisters and their husbands, and a newlywed couple, People Magazine reported.
The Latest
It is unclear if the accident was caused by the driver or if there was a problem with the vehicle, according to NBC News.
After investigations ensued, officials found that the driver did not have the appropriate license to operate a limousine, and the vehicle itself did not pass inspections, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
The vehicle was owned and operated by the company Prestige Limousine, which released a statement Sunday.
“Prestige Limousine extends its deepest condolences to the family members and friends of those who tragically lost their lives on Saturday. We are performing a detailed internal investigation to determine the cause of the accident and the steps we can take in order to prevent future accidents,” the statement said, according to NBC News.
“I think the owner of Prestige has a lot of questions to answer,” Cuomo said.
In Context
Limousines created in factories are required to meet specific safety requirements, while regular cars that are converted into stretched out limos often do not include the same precautions, such as side-impact airbags, reinforced rollover protection bars and accessible emergency exits, according to Fox News.
The limo in the accident was a 2001 Ford Excursion that had been reconstructed into a stretched vehicle.
The crash is the deadliest transportation accident in the U.S. since 2009, according to the Associated Press.
