Owner of limo in New York crash that killed 20 was 'warned not to operate the vehicle'
U.S.
Owner of limo in New York crash that killed 20 was 'warned not to operate the vehicle'
Good Morning America KARMA ALLEN, MEGHAN KENEALLY and AARON KATERSKY,Good Morning America 2 hours 9 minutes ago
Reactions Reblog on Tumblr Share Tweet Email
Owner of limo in New York crash that killed 20 was 'warned not to operate the vehicle' (ABC News)
Owner of limo in New York crash that killed 20 was 'warned not to operate the vehicle' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The family of the driver of the limousine that crashed in upstate New York, killing 20 people, believe the vehicle "was neither roadworthy or safe," the family's lawyers said.
The driver, Scott Lisincchia, 53, died in the accident along with the 17 others inside the car and two pedestrians. Lisincchia's wife released a statement through her lawyers, which said that the Lisincchia family is "devastated by the horrific tragedy" and "prayers go out to all the families that lost loved ones."
"They are mourning their husband, father and brother, and they are also grieving for the other innocent souls who lost their lives," the lawyers' statement reads.
Scott Lisincchia is described in the statement as "a loving and caring man who never would have knowingly put others in harm's way."
"The family believes that unbeknownst to him he was provided with a vehicle that was neither roadworthy nor safe for any of its occupants," the statement reads.
The vehicle failed a Sept. 4 safety inspection in part due to an Anti-lock breaking system (ABS) malfunction indicators for the hydraulic brake system, according to records reviewed by ABC News.
State transportation officials declined to immediately elaborate on the notation. Such a malfunction could mean that there is a problem either with the brake system or simply with the indicator light connected to said system.
The record from the Sept. 4 inspection also notes that there is a violation for “failure to correct defects noted on previous inspection report," though it did not detail those prior failures.
"The assertion that the limousine was cleared to be on the road following the September inspection is categorically false," according to a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Transportation. "The vehicle was subject to inspections and the owner was warned not to operate the vehicle; the vehicle was placed out of service."
Richard Burke, a spokesperson for the Lisinicchia family, told ABC News that Lisinicchia had previously told his wife about issues with the company's vehicles.
Burke said that Lisinicchia's wife "told me that he had complained to her regarding the condition of some of the vehicles. In fact they said that one time he was driving one of the vehicle’s and a muffler fell off with clients in the car and he had to stop the car, get out of the car, remove the muffler and move it to the side of the roadway."
Burke said that Lisinicchia had worked as a driver of trucks, tractor trailers, and dump trucks.
"He's a very safe driver. He never had any kind of accident like this," Burke said.
Both state and federal authorities are investigating the crash, which is the deadliest transportation accident in the U.S. since August 2009, according to the chief of the National Transportation Safety Board.
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/community-members-friends-attend-vigil-honor-victims-deadly-133527297--abc-news-topstories.html