Prosecutors revealed evidence that a shop that worked on the limo involved in a deadly crash outside Albany falsified the maintenance records. Chris Glorioso reports.
What to Know
- Improper billing had nothing to do with a limo's catastrophic brake failure that resulted in a crash that killed 20 in upstate NY, a DA says
- A former employee told investigators a brake master cylinder installation and brake flush were billed but not done months before the crash
- The October 2018 killed 20 people when a stretch limousine blew through an intersection and barreled into an earthen embankment
A prosecutor says improperly billed brake work had nothing to do with the catastrophic brake failure on a stretch limousine that crashed and killed 20 people in rural upstate New York.
District Attorney Susan Mallery said in a letter filed in Schoharie County Court Wednesday that information from a former repair shop employee doesn't exonerate limo company operator Nauman Hussain, as the defense claims.
The employee, Virgil Parks, told investigators a brake master cylinder installation and brake flush were billed but not done months before the Oct. 6, 2018 crash in Schoharie. Mallery said neither of those caused the crash.
Parks was terminated by the Mavis Discount Tire in Saratoga Springs in February. Parks was recently interviewed by New York officials and, according to documents obtained by News 4, told investigators sometimes items listed on invoices from the Mavis Saratoga store were "substituted to meet sales quotas."
"They had everything going for them," Abeling said. "She was a beautiful, sweet soul. He was, too. They were very sweet."
n"They were two very young, beautiful people," said Abeling. "Everybody involved, it was horrific thing. Our lives have been changed forever."
n"You're always hoping you find the love of your life, it's what you hope and wish and dream for, and they found each other," Erin McGowan's uncle Anthony Vertucci told the Times Union. "They had big plans."
"They had everything going for them," Abeling said. "She was a beautiful, sweet soul. He was, too. They were very sweet."
n"They were two very young, beautiful people," said Abeling. "Everybody involved, it was horrific thing. Our lives have been changed forever."
n"You're always hoping you find the love of your life, it's what you hope and wish and dream for, and they found each other," Erin McGowan's uncle Anthony Vertucci told the Times Union. "They had big plans."
"My sister was a very strong and independent person," Karina Halse said. "She didn't like it when other people did things for her. She would be the one to initiate things."
n"I feel like my heart is sunken. It's in a place where I've never felt this type of pain before," Karina Halse said. The sisters had been texting on Saturday as Amanda Halse got into the limo to head to the birthday party. Before Amanda Halse received her sister's reply, she died in the crash.
Known as "Cush," Cushing also played for Team USA Dodgeball. "Cushing's unconditional kindness and ability to make friends of his fiercest competitors made him the consummate sportsman all dodgeballers strive to be," his team wrote in a Facebook post.
"He will be sorely missed by his sister and her children," Douglass said. "He made their life very joyful with his very sweet disposition. He also financially supported the household and was also a father figure to his much younger brother."
nHer colleagues came together at work on Monday to share stories about Rivenburg, a gathering that led to both tears and laughter.
n"Amanda was loved by all of her coworkers," said Steve Klein, associate executive director of program services at the company. "She was passionate about her work and everyone relied on her for guidance."
Mallery said earlier this month that Parks claimed an invoice dated more than 3 months before the limousine crash indicates brake labor was done to the modified limo. Parks now says the brake service was never completed.
Local
A spokesperson for Mavis Discount Tire called the statements made by Parks and Hussain's defense team "inaccurate or misleading," and denied causing the fatal accident or having any legal responsibility.
Mallery said other braking system deficiencies were to blame and would have been discovered through proper inspection and maintenance.
Hussain is still indicted on manslaughter and criminally neglient homicide counts for each of the 20 victims who died in the crash. Defense attorneys say the new revelations undermine the prosecution's claim that Hussain knew the vehicle was unsafe prior to the crash. His lawyers had no immediate comment Wednesday.
Before the claims regarding the brake work surfaced, the National Transporation Safety Board recommended to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that lap and shoulder seat belts be required on all new vehicles modified to be used as limousines. The agency also recommended that seating systems in these vehicles meet minimum performance standards to ensure their integrity during a crash.
The carnage in the Scholarie crash, the board wrote, “might have been mitigated by a combination of adequate seat integrity, well-designed passenger lap/shoulder belts, and proper seat belt use.”
None of the 17 passengers appeared to have worn available seat belts at the time of the crash, the board said, and the belts were poorly designed and “would not have provided adequate protection.”
Prosecutors in New York allege Hussain allowed an improperly licensed driver to operate an "unserviceable" vehicle. Just weeks before the crash, the limo had failed a state inspection that examined such things as the chassis, suspension and brakes.
Hussain has pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent homicide, and his lawyer has said investigators rushed to judgment. His trial is scheduled for January.
