20 people killed in limousine crash in New York state
New York: Twenty people have been killed in a twocar crash in New York state, the police said, with local media reporting that one of vehicles slammed into a crowd of pedestrians at a country store. The police said the accident occurred at Saturday when two cars collided in Schoharie County, near the state capital, Albany. The Albany Times Union cited police as saying an SUV- style stretch limousine involved in the collision sped down a hill, crashing into pedestrians outside the Apple Barrel Country Store and Cafe.
Schoharie ( New York), Oct. 7: A crash involving a limousine at a popular upstate New York tourist spot killed 20 people, officials said on Sunday.
A person with knowledge of the investigation told the Associated Press that 18 of the victims were in the limo and two were bystanders. The person was not authorised to discuss the preliminary information publicly and spoke Sunday on the condition of anonymity.
Local officials told the Times Union of Albany that a limo speeding down a hill hit bystanders on Saturday afternoon at the Apple Barrel Country Store in Schoharie, about 170 miles ( 270 kilometers) north of New York City.
State police confirmed Sunday the death toll and said the crash involved two vehicles.
The store is a popular stop for tourists on fall foliage trips.
Customers in the parking lot were killed when they were hit by the limo coming down a hill on state Route 30 at "probably over 60 mph," the store manager, Jessica Kirby, told the New York Times. In a Facebook post on Saturday, the store thanked emergency responders for their actions. On Sunday, the store posted that it was open "and could use your hugs."
Witnesses described chaos, with a massive turnout of ambulances and other responders.
"I heard some screaming. It looked serious because people were running back and forth," Bridey Finegan of Schoharie told WNYT NewsChannel 13 .
Authorities didn’t release names of victims or other specifics, but state police set up a hotline for family members. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.