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More than two months after a limousine crush in upstate New York, killing 20 people, federal investigators say they have still not been allowed to inspect the vehicle or archives associated with the accident, the most deadly in the country for almost 10 years.
In a recent letter to Susan J. Mallery, Schoharie County Attorney, where the wreckage occurred, the National Transportation Safety Board stated that its investigators "were denied". 39; access to the accident vehicle, other vehicles operated by the company and relevant information and reports "regarding the October 6 accident at Schoharie, about 40 kilometers west of Albany. [19659003] "We are deeply concerned that your lack of responsiveness to our requests has seriously hampered our ability to carry out our mission. Kathleen Silbaugh, general counsel for the commission, wrote that the mission of the Congress was to complete this safety investigation and possibly prevent similar accidents in the future. The letter, dated December 14, was first reported to Albany by the WRGB.
Federal investigators asked for photos and a video of the destroyed limousine, a modified Ford Excursion dating back to 2001 and traveling on a rural route with 17 members. of a birthday party on board. He crossed a busy intersection before hitting another vehicle and landing in a shallow ravine.
The 17 passengers – including four sisters and a newlywed couple – were killed, along with two pedestrians and the limousine driver. did not have the appropriate license.
[ Read our reconstruction of the fatal limo ride .]
The NTSB is an independent federal agency that investigates major transportation accidents. Its mandate is to recommend improvements.
Federal authorities stated that they were not allowed to look inside the limousine to inspect its braking systems, which had not been inspected by the state, or to examine the structural changes made to increase the capacity of the car.
In addition, the chamber tried unsuccessfully to gain access to other vehicles owned by Prestige Limousine, the northern state company to which the vehicle belonged. The company's operator, Nauman Hussain, was arrested shortly after the accident and charged with criminal negligence homicide.
Ms. The Mallery office is responsible for prosecuting Mr. Hussain and has played a central role in the criminal investigation. For this reason, Ms. Silbaugh said, the federal authorities allowed Schoharie County to access the evidence for the first time.
However, some information was provided to the Transport Committee, including reports on state transport and information on the families of the victims. Silbaugh wrote that access to "essential essential evidence" was delayed, resulting in the loss of "essential evidence for security".
The committee was also concerned about the storage of the vehicle and the parts that could have been removed. as well as possible contamination or degradation of the evidence.
"During this two-month period, crucial and perishable investigative information may have been lost because you refused access to the NTSB. the necessary access, "wrote Ms. Silbaugh, noting that the commission team had not been able to detect any possible corrosion of the parts or the state of the electrical system from the
State police said Thursday that his accident investigation was underway and forwarded questions about the NTSB's letter to the Schoharie County authorities. District, did not immediately return requests for comments.
In their letter, federal authorities stated that Ms. Mallery had not been receptive to their requests. "What we said, it's that your schedule is full, "wrote Ms. Silbaugh," and you're too busy to answer. "
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