WASHINGTON DC — The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a preliminary report on the limo crash that killed 20 people last fall in Schoharie, New York.
The report outlines the event, saying the limo crossed through the intersection at a high rate of speed, and hit a vehicle in the parking lot, killing two people. It then crashed killing the 18 people in the car.
The report went on to say:
The original 137-inch-long wheelbase for the 2001 Ford Excursion had been lengthened by 180 inches to increase the seating capacity to 18 occupants (including the driver). To accommodate the additional passenger capacity, non-OEM (original equipment manufacturer) seats were installed in the vehicle. These non-OEM seats were equipped with lap belts and oriented passengers away from a traditional forward-facing seating configuration. Additionally, the vehicle’s increased passenger capacity required the passenger-carrying operations of the limousine to be regulated by the New York State Department of Transportation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to gather information on the modifications and mechanical condition of the vehicle, the seat belt usage and survivability of the passengers, and the oversight of the passenger-carrying operation by the New York State Department of Transportation and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
