The New York State Inspector General has finally released the report regarding the Schoharie limo crash that happened back in 2018, killing 20 people.
NY State Inspector General, Lucy Lang, accepted findings given by the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the accident.
Both the DOT and DMV were said to have failed to use all legal remedies to bring the limo company into compliance with required laws and regulations.
The company is called Prestige and is operated by Nauman Hussain.
What did the report about the limo crash say?
According to My Twin Tiers, the 29 page report did not find misconduct by DOT or the DMV employees.
What it did find was gaps in policies, procedures, and communication between agencies.
One man named Kevin Cushing lost his son Patrick in the limo crash and gave his opinion on the matter.
He stated that the hussain’s misrepresented their vehicle and how many passengers it could hold. The DMV and DOT took that information at face value and did not follow up after that.
Cushing stated that he “can’t say it’s criminal, but it’s certainly heartbreaking to every family member that knows they had that chance to do their job.”
He added that if they had done their job the way they were supposed to, their children would be alive today.
According to Cushing, the investigation shows there were around a dozen times that vehicle should have been taken off the road. This was partially the fault of the DMV and DOT by allowing the limo to stay in service.
Recommendations from the New York Inspector General
There were various recommendations made following the investigation.
The DOT is urged to train their staff on how to immobilize, impound, and seize license plates from stretch limos found out of compliance with laws and regulations.
It is suggested that all registration suspensions for limos are not restored until there is proof that problems resulting in prior suspensions are fixed.
Finally, it’s important that both the DOT and DMV are notified of discrepancies.
Senator Jim Tedisco has called for a legislative hearing that would look further into the DOT and DMV.
He stated that he wants the names of the individuals and their positions who chose to not make the right decisions.
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