Limo employee faces 40 criminal charges after 20-person crash

Nauman Hussain was charged with second degree manslaughter and negligent homicide of 20 counts, said Susan Mallery, District Attorney for Schoharie. He must appear on Wednesday.

The police described Hussain as an "operator" of the Prestige Limousine Chauffer service, which belonged to his father, Shahed Hussain.

According to a complaint in felony, the young driver Hussain, Scott Lisinicchia, would have hired the same driver, knowing that Lisinicchia did not have the appropriate license to drive the limousine.

The complaint also indicated that Nauman Hussain knew or ought to have known that the modified Ford Excursion had mechanical defects and safety issues, some of which would have affected the brakes.

The limo had failed the inspection just a month before the accident in October 2018 and "was not supposed to be on the road," said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

But Hussain's lawyer, Lee Kindlon, said, "Mr. Hussain is not guilty of criminal acts and we will fight for him every step of the way."

Kindlon said that Nauman Hussain had "very little involvement" in the company, occupying marketing, booking and answering the phone.

How the accident occurred

Lisinicchia was driving 17 guests to a birthday party in upstate New York when the modified Ford Excursion went through a stop sign and hit a parked SUV, officials said.

The driver and 17 passengers were killed, as well as two pedestrians. Among the victims were married couples and four sisters.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report in February, stating that "the original 137-inch wheelbase of the 2001 Ford Excursion had been extended 180 inches to allow 18 occupants (including driver)."

"All aspects of the Schoharie accident, in the state of New York, are still under investigation, with the NTSB tying to determine the probable cause of it. , in order to make safety recommendations to avoid similar accidents, "says the report.

Janet DiGiacomo and Sarah Jorgensen from CNN contributed to this report.