Sources: https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/default.aspx; https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/08/us/new-york-limo-crash/index.html; https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/08/nyregion/prestige-limousine-crash-schoharie.html).
A vehicle identified as being a 2001 Ford Excursion SUV modified into a limousine and carrying 18 passengers was involved in a horrific auto accident on Saturday, October 6, 2018, in which all 18 of the occupants of the limo, including the driver, were fatally injured. This deadly accident, which took place in upstate New York, is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) together with the New York State Police. The NTSB is an independent United States federal government agency charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents and promoting transportation safety and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt spoke at a news conference on Sunday and stated that the accident was “one of the biggest losses of life that we’ve seen in a long, long time.” Mr. Sumwalt further noted that the accident was “the most deadly transportation accident in this country since February of 2009.” Early reports indicate that some of the passengers in the limo had expressed concerns about the safety of the limo as they were driving in it by sending text messages to friends and family members. Further reports indicate that the limo driver may not have been properly licensed and that the limo had failed a recent motor vehicle inspection.
According to law enforcement officials, the passengers in the limo had acted responsibly by utilizing the services of a limousine company to transport them. Questions are now being raised about the safety and regulation of oversized and modified vehicles, especially since, typically, seatbelts are not worn and/or are not required to be worn and because the structural integrity of such vehicles may be compromised. It is early on in the NTSB and State Police investigations. Extensive information and evidence will obviously need to be gathered and scrutinized in order to make a determination as to all the persons and entities responsible for the devastating motor vehicle accident.
The lawyers at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., have represented the victims of motor vehicle accidents for decades. The firm is all too familiar with the consequences resulting from unsafe drivers and unsafe vehicles being on the road.
The lawyers at Liever, Hyman & Potter, P.C., are concerned for the safety of motor vehicle drivers and passengers driving on the roads and highways in Berks County and Schuylkill County, and serve auto, truck and motorcycle accident victims and their families in Reading, PA, Pottsville, PA, and throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia. The lawyers there handle injury claims, including claims for serious injuries or death caused by the negligence of other vehicle operators.
From the desk of Adam K. Levin, Esquire.