The National Transportation Safety Board, which is conducting its own investigation into the crash in Schoharie, said this has been the “most deadly transportation accident” in the U.S. since February 2009, when50 people lost their livesduring the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in Buffalo.
Local reports claimed awedding partywas inside the limousine at the time of the crash, theNew York Timespreviously reported, but Valerie Abeling, the aunt of one of the limo victims, told the Associated Press that the vehicle wasen route to a birthday celebration.
Abeling told the AP that two of the victims were newlyweds Erin Vertucci, 34, and Shane McGowan, 30.
“Our lives have been changed forever,” said Abeling, whose daughter was invited but unable to attend the party.
Hans Pennink/AP/Shutterstock
While he said that Axel and Amy, who weremarried in June, had rented the limousine, he was not certain why they had done so.
“They rented the limo with some families and I don’t know exactly what they were doing,” Andrews told the newspaper. “There’s just a lot of confusion, so many people died.”
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a statement on Sunday, sharing that his “heart breaks for the 20 people who lost their lives.”
Additionally, the New York State Police have created a phone line dedicated to assisting family members of the crash victims. Family members are encouraged to call 1-877-672-4911.
The crash, which involved two vehicles, occurred at approximately 1:55 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, according to police. Their preliminary investigation revealed that the accident occurred at the intersection of State Route 30 and State Route 30A.
All of the passengers inside the limousine had been killed in the crash, authorities stated later in the conference.
Though police said they were in the early stages of an investigation, authorities determined that the incident occurred after the limousine, a 2011 Ford Excursion, “failed to stop at the intersection of State Route 30A.” The limousine then “traveled across the intersection into a parking lot and struck a 2015 Toyota Highlander that was unoccupied and parked.”
The Highlander then struck and killed two pedestrians.
The New York State Police went on to state that the scene of the crash has been cleared “and the victims have been transported to Albany Medical Center where autopsies are now being conducted.”
While the police will not be releasing any information about the victims until all of the families have been notified, they did confirm that the license plate on the limousine was from the state of New York. All other information, such as where the limousine was coming from and where it was headed to, have yet to be announced.
“That limo was coming down that hill probably over 60 miles per hour,” she told the newspaper.
Addressing the crash in anemotional Facebook poston Saturday, the Apple Barrel Country Store and Cafe wrote, “As you may be aware, there was a horrific accident in front of our business today.”
source: people.com
