A limousine crashes in New York, killing 20 people after failing to stop at an intersection, officials say

A limousine involved in an accident that killed 20 people in upstate New York on Saturday failed to stop at an intersection a few seconds before the collision, announced Sunday. officials.

The first deputy superintendent of police in the state of New York, Christopher Fiore, confirmed that the 18 passengers of the limousine were killed, as well as two passersby.

Fiore said that the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine was traveling southwest on Route 30 to Schoharie, about 170 km north of New York and 43 km west of Albany, when it was about 15 miles north of New York. She passed the intersection of Highway 30A and struck a Toyota Highlander parked in front of the vehicle. Apple Barrel campaign store.

An aunt from one of the victims told the Associated Press that the limousine was going to a birthday party when she crashed.

Valerie Abeling said the newlyweds Erin Vertucci, 34, and Shane McGowan, 30, were among those killed. Abeling added that her daughter had been invited but could not go.

The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Robert Sumwalt, said that it was the most deadly transport accident in the United States since February 2009, when 50 people were killed after a regional plane from Continental Airlines crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York.

"My heart is broken by the 20 people who lost their lives in this horrible accident on Saturday in Schoharie," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "I congratulate the first responders who arrived at the scene and worked all night for Help Me.The state police are working with the federal and local authorities to investigate the accident and I've been there. I ordered the state agencies to provide all the resources necessary to facilitate this investigation and determine what led to this tragedy. "

"I join with all New Yorkers in mourning the deaths and sharing the unspeakable grief of their families and loved ones during this extremely difficult time," Cuomo Cuomo said.

Sumwalt said that an NTSB team arrived in the area Sunday morning to investigate the cause.

The crash "looked like an explosion," said Linda Riley of nearby Schenectady, who had gone shopping with her sisters and was in their car parked at the store near the intersection of Routes 30 and 30A.

When she came out of her vehicle, she saw a body on the ground and broken tree branches everywhere, she said. People started screaming.

Store Manager Jessica Kirby told The New York Times that the limousine was traveling on the hill at "probably over 60 mph". Fiore told reporters Sunday that the road had a speed limit of 50 km / h in the vicinity of the intersection.

Local officials previously said the intersection was dangerous and could cause a fatal accident. The supervisor of the city of Schoharie, Alan Tavenner, told the Times Union of Albany that transport officials had tried to make the intersection safer about seven years ago.

The improvements, however, did not seem to work.

"There are semi-trailers that came tumbling down that hill and it was a miracle not to kill anyone," Tavenner said.

"Honestly, I think the intersection was more dangerous than before," he told The New York Times.

"We had three semi-trailer type vehicles. They go down too fast in this hill, they go through our parking lot and end up in a field behind our business, "said Kirby.

Apple Barrel issued a statement Saturday on its Facebook page, thanking first responders. The store said it will be open on Sundays.

"As you may know, there was a terrible accident in our company today. [Saturday]. First of all, we want to thank all the emergency services who responded. We are truly grateful to you all, "said the store, adding that their" hearts and prayers are going to everyone "involved in this fatal accident.

There was no information Sunday on the limousine or its integrity. But safety concerns on these vehicles arose before, especially after the wreckage of a wreck on Long Island in July 2015, during which four women on a tour of vineyards were killed .

They were in a Lincoln Town Car that had been disassembled and rebuilt in an expandable configuration to accommodate more passengers. The limo was trying to turn around and was hit by a van.

A grand jury found that vehicles converted into stretch limousines often lacked safety measures, including side airbags, roll-over protection bars, and accessible emergency exits. This grand jury asked Cuomo to form a working group on limousine safety.

Limos built in factories are already required to follow strict safety rules, but when cars are converted into limousines, security functions are sometimes removed, resulting in gaps in security protocols, wrote the grand jury .

Associated Press contributed to this report,

Associated Press contributed to this report.