Limo that crashed in NY, killing 20, was in ‘bad shape’

NEW YORK: A victim of a limousine accident that killed 20 people in upstate New York texted a friend that the 17-year-old vehicle “wasn’t in very good condition and sounded terrible” before it fatally crashed on the way to a birthday party, the victim’s aunt told CNN on Monday.

Saturday’s accident, which killed two pairs of newlyweds, four sisters from one family and two brothers from another, was the deadliest US transport crash in nearly a decade, according to federal authorities.

Valerie Abeling, the aunt of victim Erin Mcgowan, said on Monday that her niece had sent text messages to a friend expressing concern about the condition of the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limousine. One of the messages said the Ford Excursion had replaced a vehicle that broke down.

The company that rented the limousine has not been identified.

Robert Sumwalt, Chief of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said on Monday on CNN the accident should be “a wake-up call” for limousine safety.

“Here we have 20 lives that have been lost tragically. We do need to learn from this,” Sumwalt said.

The NTSB, a federal agency, is investigating the crash and will look at the adequacy of regulations for limousines, whose passengers are not required to wear seat belts.

“I can tell you that wearing seat belts does save lives. Whether or not it would have made a difference here ... remains to be seen,” Sumwalt said.