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There were honeymooners and young couples and four sisters, all about to feast on a brewery in upstate New York.
But for reasons still unknown, the modified limousine went through a stop sign, crashed against a parked SUV and caused the deadliest US transport crash for almost a decade.
The 17 passengers were killed. So was the driver of the limousine. It was the same for two pedestrians in the peaceful town of Schoharie.
While their families struggle with confusion and grief, investigators wonder if the unusual structure of the limousine could have contributed to the mass tragedy.
A family loses four sisters
Those in the limousine were not just friends, many belonged to the family.
Four sisters – Mary Dyson, Abby Jackson, Allison King and Amy Steenburg – all died in the accident, said MP Angelo Santabarbara. Steenburg's husband, Axel Steenburg, was also killed.
A large number of the victims came from Amsterdam, in the north of the state, about twenty kilometers north of the place of the accident. Jackson was a specialist teacher in Amsterdam, said Santabarbara, who represents the part of New York where the accident occurred.
Valerie Abeling said her niece, Erin Vertucci and her husband, Shane McGowan, had died together. They married just four months ago.
"It's a horrible tragedy and there are no words to describe how we feel," Abeling said.
"They were young couples, had just got married and had their whole lives in front of them."
Barbara Douglas lost two nieces.
"They loved to have fun – they were wonderful girls," Douglas said. "They would do anything for you, and they were very close to each other."
Douglas's face grew darker as he thought of his niece's three children.
"They do not have any more parents," Douglas said.
Questions abound about the structure of the limousine
Federal, state and local investigators flooded the small town of Schoharie to try to understand what happened.
The accident occurred outside a cafe and an Apple Barrel store. Resident Bridey Finnagen said the sound was loud enough to hear the sound of the road.
"I saw a lot of people here at Apple Barrel in the parking lot, and then I heard screaming, then I saw this big van, a very unusual vehicle, out here at Schoharie in the bushes and who really destroyed, hit a tree. "
The vehicle appeared to be a 2001 Ford Excursion SUV transformed into a limousine, officials said.
Peter Goelz, former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board, worries officials of this type of altered vehicles. Indeed, after-sales changes often affect the structural integrity and safety of a vehicle.
Chris Fiore of the New York State Police Department did not specify whether the driver was driving fast, whether the brakes were working or whether the passengers were wearing seatbelts. In these types of limousines, rear passengers are not forced to wear seat belts, Goelz added.
The accident was so catastrophic that even seasoned experts, such as the NTSB president, were stunned.
"Twenty dead, that is horrible," said chairman of the board Robert Sumwalt.
"I have been on the board for 12 years and it's one of the biggest casualties in life … It's the most lethal transport accident in this country since February 2009 . "
Polo Sandoval reported from Schoharie. Holly Yan reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Elizabeth Joseph, Kristina Sgueglia, Sarah Jorgensen, Darran Simon, Tonju Francois and Tony Marco contributed to this story.
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