Federal investigators say seatbealts in the limo that crashed in Schoharie, New York in 2018 and killed nearly two dozen people did not have adequate seatbelts.

In a report released Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board looked at the fatal crash that killed 20 people on October 6, 2018 when a limo from Prestige Limousine Services plowed through an intersection into Schoharie, into a restaurant parking lot, and into a ditch.

A total of 20 people died: the limo driver, 17 limo passengers, and two bystanders in the restaurant parking lot.

Along with finding that the seatbelts were not adequate for the passengers, who were on their way to a Coopertown's Brewery Ommegang at the time for a birthday party, investigators determined it was impossible for the limo driver to survive the crash.

The NTSB report made several recommendations, including:

  • Lap/shoulder seatbelts should be installed in all vehicles that are modified to be used as limousines
  • State vehicle inspectors make sure seat belts are functional as part of the normal inspection process for limousines
  • Limo operators make sure seat belt systems are working and available to all passengers, as well as encourage passengers to wear seat belts

The limo company's operator, Nauman Hussain, was arrested after the crash and charged with criminally negligent homicide. His trial has been pushed back to March 9, 2020, according to News 10 in Albany.

You can read the NTSB's full report here.

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