20 dead in New York: a limousine accident described as "the most lethal accident" in the nation for 9 years: NPR

Updated at 12:28 ET on Monday

To celebrate her 30th birthday, Amy Steenburg and more than a dozen close friends gathered in an extended limousine for an afternoon of wine and beer tasting in upstate New York.

Just before 2 pm on Saturday, the casual meeting ended with an unimaginable nightmare: investigators said the limousine was loaded on a steep national highway, had passed a stop sign and had directed to the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store & Cafe, where she had hit a car and two people.

The collision at Schoharie, New York, killed 18 limousine passengers as well as two pedestrians from what federal officials have described as a crushing transport accident in the country for nearly 10 years.

"Twenty dead, it's horrible," said Robert Sumwalt, president of the National Transportation Safety Board, who investigates the accident. "This is one of the biggest casualties we've had in a long time."

The New York State police, who are also investigating the accident, did not say how fast the limousine was moving or if the vehicle may have failed. Authorities would not say if one of the passengers was wearing his seat belt.

The names of the victims are not disclosed pending the notification of relatives, according to a statement from the police. Their bodies were transported to the Albany Medical Center for autopsy.

Amy Dunlop-Johnson, who spoke to NPR on Sunday, said that three of her relatives were among the dead: her cousin, Axel "A.J." Steenburg, 29; his wife Amy; and his brother, Rich, 34 years old.

"Amy and A.J. just got married in June," Dunlop-Johnson said. "It was the couple that everyone envied, they had a perfect relationship, they were so good together, they were always laughing."

Rich Steenburg's wife, Kimberly, had the intention of joining Amy's birthday celebration, but decided Saturday morning to step down as she did not feel well, said Dunlop Johnson. Rich and Kim raised two teenage children and they came to buy a house together, she added.

Dunlop-Johnson, who lives in Albany, about 60 km from Schoharie, said that among her many parents she was particularly close to Rich and Axel.

"It's devastating," she says. "These two cousins ​​are the only two cousins ​​my brother and I are close to, we always got together to go to the bars and go to the party and have a good time, we were the closest. Is shocking that it happened. "

Local residents described the T-shaped meeting point between National Roads 30 and 30A in front of the main store as notoriously dangerous.

"The intersection is a very dangerous intersection," said Alan Tavenner, supervisor of the city of Schoharie, at the WAMC. There have been "at least two instances where tractor-trailers have lost their brakes and crossed the intersection", which has led the New York State Department of Transportation to ban them from the road 30, he said.

As part of their investigation, officials intend to examine the condition of the pavement, told reporters the driver, the vehicle and the Sumwalt limousine company of the NTSB.

The emergency line of Schoharie County received calls concerning the accident around 13:55. Saturday, the police said. State and county officials, as well as fire and EMS agencies, rushed to the scene.

Witnesses described the agitation when first responders broke windows to try to rescue the victims.

"I heard screams." It sounded serious because people were taking turns, "said Bridey Finegan, a local resident, at WNYT NewsChannel 13.

"This limousine was probably down over 100 km / h on this hill," said Jessica Kirby, director of the Apple Barrel Country Store. New York Times.

Bill Waterson, who lives nearby, said he was stunned by the sight of the wreck. "All the parts of the car, the door panels covered with blood still on the floor and all, it was bad," he said. "I'm 68, I've never seen so much destruction."

Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered state agencies to provide "all the necessary resources" to assist in the New York inquiry. "My heart is broken by the 20 people who lost their lives in this horrible accident Saturday in Schoharie," he said in a statement.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer m said on Twitter: "God bless families who have lost loved ones, as well as my dear friends from Schoharie's emergency services who responded."

The small town of Schoharie is known to attract tourists in autumn when the leaves change. The Apple Barrel Country Store has posted a message on Facebook stating that it was collecting donations for local volunteer emergency services and asking people to "come share your smile, your love, your friendship, and your hugs." with us".

The Steenburg families have created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses. A vigil was scheduled for Tuesday night.

Dunlop-Johnson, who along with relatives of other victims, was waiting for police news in a fire station in Schoharie, said they were in shock.

"Everyone is still trying to deal with this," she said.