A limousine service manager was convicted of manslaughter Wednesday in a crash that killed 20 people in rural New York, one of the nation’s deadliest transportation accidents in two decades.
Nearly five years since 20 people were killed in one of the biggest transportation accidents in the United States, a limousine service manager has been convicted of manslaughter for his failure to maintain the vehicle.
On Wednesday, a jury convicted Nauman Hussain on 20 counts of second-degree manslaughter in the October 2018 crash in Schoharie, New York. The verdict was reached by jurors in Schoharie County, about 48 miles west of Albany, New York, on their second day of deliberations.
Emotions ran high in the courtroom as shouts and cries could be heard as the verdict was read. The guilty verdict brought a flood of emotions to the families of the victims, who have been waiting years for someone to be held accountable for the incident.
“It’s exhilarating,” Kevin Cushing, who lost his son Patrick Cushing in the crash, told WNYT-TV outside the courthouse. “We had relatively low expectations because this four-and-a-half years has been filled with disappointment.”
Hussain, who ran Prestige Limousine, rented out a 2001 Ford Excursion limousine that had a “catastrophic brake failure” after years of inadequate maintenance, according to an 83-page vehicle autopsy made public in 2019.
Hussain could face up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 31.
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What happened in the 2018 crash?
Packed with 17 passengers who were heading to a birthday party, the 31-foot-long, five-ton stretch-style limousine had gone off the road and sped through an intersection at more than 100 mph, according to a 2020 report by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The driver of the limousine, Scott Lisinicchia, struck a parked car and two bystanders near an Apple Barrel Country Storef in an attempt to avoid another car, according to the report. The limousine then came to a stop in a streambed. All 17 passengers, the driver, and two bystanders were killed.
According to the vehicle autopsy, the limousine’s rear brakes were in poor condition at the time of the crash. The right-rear break was found to be inoperable and there was severely corroded brake tubing.
Father of victim: ‘Getting a punishment that he deserves’
After pandemic-related delays and a rejected 2021 plea deal in the case, Wednesday’s guilty verdict capped an emotional rollercoaster for the victim’s families.
“No one likes to see someone’s life destroyed, and I don’t want to feel that way,” Cushing said of Hussain. “I’m certainly glad he’s convicted and I believe he’s getting a punishment that he deserves, but I take no joy in that.”
During the trial, jurors heard from witnesses including a former manager of the repair shop, eye-witnesses, and a state Department of Transportation inspector who flagged the limousine for violations prior to the crash. The defense called no witnesses.
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Prosecutors: Hussain intentionally failed to maintain vehicle
Prosecutors said Hussain intentionally failed to maintain the vehicle, including conducting required, routine state inspections. Checks would have shown brake defects and prevented the crash, prosecutors said.
Hussain’s defense lawyer Lee Kindlon said he was misled by a repair shop. The repair shop wasn’t criminally charged and denied it was at fault.
Hussain was taken into custody after the verdict was read. Kindlon told reporters outside the courthouse he was “heartbroken” by the verdict.
“I’m a little disappointed the judge decided to lock him up today, but not surprised,” he said.
Contributing: Jon Campbell, Albany Bureau; The Associated Press