One of the victims of the upstate New York limousine crash that killed all 18 aboard had texted concerns about the "terrible condition" of the limo less than 20 minutes before tragedy struck, her aunt says. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that the limousine, owned by Prestige Limousine, didn't have the necessary federal certification to operate and failed a state inspection last month. The vehicle was "not supposed to be on the road," he said. Authorities continued to investigate the crash on a winding road in rural Schoharie, about 160 miles north of New York City. The limo was bound for a birthday party at a Cooperstown brewery. Two pedestrians also were killed. Valerie Abeling said her niece, Erin McGowan, 34, and her husband Shane, 30, were among the limo victims. Abeling's daughter was busy and couldn't join the party, a scheduling conflict that probably saved her life. Abeling told The Washington Post that Erin sent a text message complaining about the condition of the limo, a last-minute replacement after a bus hired to shuttle the group broke down. The National Transportation Safety Board and State Police are investigating. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said the limo's road worthiness was one of many factors that will be studied. Erin, who worked in a pediatrician's office, and Shane, who worked for Miracle Ear, were married in June. “These were friends just starting their lives, getting married, and this is how it ended,” Abeling said. “It’s a tragic loss of beautiful souls.” More:What we know about the fatal limo crash that killed 20 More:'Horrific' limo crash kills 20 in upstate New York Authorities had not revealed the names of victims, pending confirmation of identifications and notification of family members. Some of those family members shared their stories. Many of the victims were from Amsterdam, a city of less than 20,000 people 25 miles north of the crash site. State Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara called the crash a "devastating event impacting all parts of our community." Four of those killed were sisters, three of whom died with their husbands. Axel and Amy Steenburg, newlyweds from Amsterdam, had rented the limo, Axel Steenburg’s stepfather told The New York Times. The group had gathered for a surprise party to celebrate Amy Steenburg’s 30th birthday. In a Facebook post three days before the crash, Amy professed her love for Axel. "I just wanted to say Axel Steenburg I love you more than words can say!" Amy wrote in the post that became a memorial to the couple, drawing hundreds of comments. "Thank you for being so kind and loving xo #justbecause #husband." Amy's sister Abigail and husband Adam Jackson, sister Mary and husband Rob Dyson and sister Allison King also died, the women's aunt said. “They did the responsible thing, getting a limo so they wouldn’t have to drive anywhere,” Barbara Douglas said. “They were wonderful girls. They’d do anything for you, and they were very close to each other, and they loved their family.” Andrea Hojohn Orokos started a gofundme page for the family of Axel and his brother. Donations reached more than $7,500 of the $10,000 goal Monday. "Saturday, Rich, Axel and other friends and family passed in an unfortunate party bus accident," she wrote. "It is beyond devastating for everyone who knew them all. Please help ease the burden during this time and help donate to funeral expenses." Amanda Halse, 26, and her boyfriend, Patrick Cushing, 31, also died in the limo, Halse's sister Karina told Good Morning America. They had been dating for about a year, she said. Her sister texted her an hour before the crash, but Karina said she had been busy and didn't get the chance to respond. “She was such a charismatic person, and she just wanted to make sure everyone was happy," Karina Halse said. "I'm so grateful that she was my sister out of everyone else on this earth." Cushing, who worked in Albany at the state Senate's technology office, was an “extraordinary” employee and “wonderful young man," state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan said. Suzanne Douglass said her nephew, Matthew Coons, died. She said he had “a golden heart” and “made you laugh so hard until you cried.” State Police First Deputy Superintendent Christopher Fiore said the limo ran a stop sign and slammed into a parked SUV and the two pedestrians before crashing to a halt in a ditch. Neither Fiore nor Sumwalt would say how fast the limo was going or whether those aboard wore seat belts. Sumwalt said the investigation was a priority and would be thorough. “This is one of the biggest losses of life that we’ve seen in a long, long time,” he said. Contributing: Joseph Spector, USA TODAY NETWORK; The Associated Press<doc-sep>Members of the National Transportation Safety Board work at the scene of yesterday's fatal crash, in Schoharie, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink) In this Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018 photo, a body is draped under a blanket at the scene of a fatal crash in Schoharie, N.Y. (Tom Heffernan Sr. via AP) Members of the National Transportation Safety Board work at the scene of yesterday's fatal crash, in Schoharie, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink) (CNN) — The chauffeur in the deadly crash in upstate New York was a “great driver” and longtime employee of Prestige Limousine Chauffeur Service, the company’s attorney said Tuesday. Authorities say the driver did not have the proper license and that the vehicle had failed a recent inspection. But lawyer Lee Kindlon said the company’s owner thought the driver had a proper license. The company checked with the Department of Motor Vehicles “a number of different times” and were told that he did, Kindlon said. Kindlon also disagreed with statements that the stretched Ford Excursion should not have been on the road. “I am disputing that any recent failures of minor safety defects contributed to this crash,” he said. Authorities identified the driver as Scott T. Lisinicchia, 53, of Lake George, New York. Kindlon called him a “very reliable employee and a great driver.” Lisinicchia was among the 20 people who died in the wreck Saturday in Schoharie, New York, about 25 miles south of Amsterdam. Authorities have released the names of the 17 passengers, who rented the limo for a birthday party, and two pedestrians killed in the crash, along with the driver’s identity. For reasons still unknown, the limo plowed through a stop sign and crashed into a parked SUV, causing the deadliest US transportation accident in almost a decade. Federal, state and local investigators have flooded Schoharie to try to understand what happened. The wreck also has placed Prestige Limousine Chauffeur Service and its owner, Shahed Hussain, under scrutiny. Through his lawyer, Hussain expressed condolences to the victims’ families. Before he owned the company, the Pakistani national was an informant for the FBI, two sources confirmed to CNN. He became an informant for several months in 2008 and 2009, after he was convicted of fraud while he worked as a translator for the Department of Motor Vehicles in Albany, New York, records show. Condition of vehicle disputed The birthday party guests were riding in a 2001 Ford Excursion that was converted into a limousine. As more details emerge about the apparent broken rules, investigators also are looking into whether the unusual structure of the limo may have contributed to this mass tragedy. The company bought the Excursion already modified “just a couple of years ago,” its lawyer said. The state Department of Transportation conducted a periodic inspection last week and discovered “minor safety infractions,” including inoperative or defective windshield wipers and that a broken latch on a window, Kindlon said. Both issued were fixed, Kindlon said, and last week the state DOT that the vehicle “was roadworthy and they could drive it.” 01:19 - Source: CNN Most deadly US crash since 2009 kills 20 (2018) He disputed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s statement that the vehicle failed its inspection. “I would just ask for the investigation to take place so we can figure out exactly why the vehicle crashed,” Kindlon said. State officials charged back, saying the vehicle was not allowed to be in service. “The assertion that the limousine was cleared to be on the road following the September inspection is categorically false,” said Joseph Morrissey, spokesman for the New York State Department of Transportation. “The vehicle was subject to inspections and the owner was warned not to operate the vehicle; the vehicle was placed out of service.” According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the vehicle had the following three violations in a September 4 inspection that earned it an “out of service” designation, meaning it could not be on the road because it poses an imminent hazard: • Operating a vehicle with seating in excess of the manufacturer’s designed seating capacity • No or defective bus emergency exits • Inspection, repair and maintenance of parts and accessories The vehicle had an additional seven violations that did not earn an “out of service” designation, including failure to correct defects previously noted. Company’s vehicles off the road National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said investigators are working to learn the vehicle’s speed at the time of the crash. More about the driver’s state and whether all 19 seats in the limo had lap-shoulder belts will also be scrutinized, as well as if the passengers were wearing them, which is not required by law. The company said it has taken its fleet off the road, and state police seized three of the company’s vehicles in addition to the modified limo involved in the crash, State Police Maj. Robert Patnaude said. Cuomo said officials are working on a cease-and-desist order to keep its vehicles from operating until the investigation is over. Prestige Limousine Chauffeur Service is looking into Lisinicchia’s history as part of an internal investigation, Kindlon said. The company has met with federal and state investigators and plans to do so again. It is collecting maintenance records, driver logs and ownership records, and intends to turn them over to authorities, he added. The company’s owner is currently in Pakistan, where he travels frequently. “He is ready and able to come back whenever they need him,” Kindlon said. “His heart is broken and his family’s heart is broken,” Kindlon said. “Anything that he can do to make this right, he’ll do. And he’s so very sorry for everything that’s happened.” Hussain skirted deportation for a fraud conviction by agreeing to cooperate with an investigation into another person. In 2007, Hussain became a paid informant for the FBI and started working in the lower Hudson Valley, records show. Hussain was charged with finding Muslims who might be plotting against the United States, records show. Hussain attended services at a mosque in Newburgh at the direction of the FBI in 2008, records show. The FBI equipped him with a home that had concealed audio and video recording equipment, and audio equipment for his car. Hussain presented himself as a wealthy Pakistani immigrant who knew about Islamic teachings. He testified in at least one federal case, records show. Texts expressed concern before crash Thousands gathered Monday night for a candlelight vigil in Amsterdam, a city of 17,000 that was home to many of those killed. Beneath a 12-foot bronze statue of a mother and child near a pedestrian bridge, they prayed for strength and observed a moment of silence before a singer led the group in “Amazing Grace.” Lawmakers at the vigil promised to help find answers to the questions surrounding Saturday’s crash. “I’ve always known it be a loving community,” US Rep. Paul Tonko said. “As I gather with you this evening, I see it manifested in a very powerful expression.” Stephanie Keith/Getty Images Mourners attend a Monday night candlelight vigil for victims of the fatal limousine crash. Monday’s vigil began hours after Cuomo said the vehicle had failed a state inspection in September. He said the modified limo involved in the fatal crash wasn’t supposed to be on the road and that the driver “did not have the appropriate driver’s license to be operating that vehicle.” At least one victim seemed worried about the condition of the limo, according to text messages shared with The New York Times. Louis Torres Photography Erin Vertucci and Shane McGowan were married in June. The recently married Erin Vertucci McGowan sent a text message to her friend and maid of honor saying that their party bus had broken down on the way to celebrate a friend’s birthday. They had rented a stretch limo to pick them up, the newspaper reported. She did not know where they had procured the vehicle, she texted. “The motor is making everyone deaf,” McGowan said in one text, according to the Times. In another, she wrote, “When we get to brewery we will all b deaf.” Victims identified<doc-sep>On Monday, investigators continued to search for clues as to what caused the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine to speed down a rural highway, through a stop sign and into an unoccupied car, killing 17 friends in the vehicle who were on their way to celebrate a birthday party. An assistant professor of geology at the State University of New York, Brian Hough, and his father-in-law were struck and killed as they stood near a parking lot at the base of the hill, according to Syracuse.com and Facebook posts. In a briefing at a regional headquarters of the State Police outside Albany, Robert L. Sumwalt, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that his agency’s inquiry was focusing on mechanical and human causes for the accident and that there was extensive damage to the front and left side of the limousine. He suggested that the engine of the Excursion had been thrust backward into the driver’s compartment, saying the evidence indicated a “high-energy impact.” But he declined to say definitively that the vehicle had been speeding; there were no skid marks leading to the crash site. Investigators also said they had recovered an airbag control module, which was being analyzed for crash data. State Police officials suggested that the company had been on their radar before the crash. “That company and that vehicle have been under scrutiny” in the past, said Maj. Robert Patnaude of the New York State Police. He also suggested that Mr. Hussain could face criminal charges. “That will be part of our investigation,” Major Patnaude said. The investigation will also include autopsies of the victims, a tight-knit group that included four sisters, two brothers and several young couples. Those victims had yet to be identified by the authorities but heartbroken friends and relatives were already posting testimonials.<doc-sep>
The limousine that crashed and killed 20 people in upstate New York never should have been on the road, investigators said Monday. The limo's driver, Scott Lisinicchia, who died in Saturday's crash, did not have a proper license and the vehicle failed an inspection last month, according to officials. Federal records also show Prestige Limousines, the company that owns the limo, has been cited for 22 violations in the last 24 months, reports CBS News correspondent DeMarco Morgan. The National Transportation Safety Board says the Ford Excursion limo carrying 18 young people to a birthday celebration was originally a traditional SUV that was stretched. The board is now examining when and how the vehicle was converted and what caused this tragedy. "That company and that vehicle have been under scrutiny at the DOT (Department of Transportation) in the past," said state police Major Robert Patnaude. According to federal records, in September, three Prestige vehicles failed inspections, and were cited for multiple violations – including no or defective emergency exits and malfunctioning brakes. "Those safety issues had been addressed and corrected," said attorney Lee Kindlon, who represents Prestige Limousine. "Not all infractions are major. A lot of these things are minor and were fixed." Kindlon said he doesn't think those infractions contributed to the tragedy. Police say Prestige's 2001 Ford Excursion limo was traveling southwest on State Route 30 in Schoharie Saturday when it drove through a stop sign at an intersection. There are no signs the limo tried to brake, as it barreled into a parking lot outside a country store. There it struck and killed two pedestrians, and slammed into an unoccupied Toyota Highlander, before landing in the woods. All 18 people inside were killed. "The owner of the company had no business putting a failed vehicle on the road," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Prestige Limo is owned by local resident Shahed Hussain. According to court and public records, a man by the same name, was caught in Albany in 2001 trying to help someone obtain a driver's license illegally. He pleaded guilty in 2003, and became an FBI informant. Records show he testified in several high-profile terror cases. A photo taken from surveillance videotape shows him in 2004 as an informant holding an inert rocket launcher during a sting operation. Kindlon says his client is currently out of the country. "We did have a phone conversation early this afternoon….He wanted me to again do whatever I could to express to the families and the victims his sorrow," Kindlon said. The FBI isn't commenting on whether Hussain was an informant. Authorities seized four vehicles from Prestige, including the limo. Police say the victims in the limo had tried to hire a bus through a different company before the crash, but the bus broke down. At the last minute, they hired Prestige.