The limousine crash that killed 20 people in rural upstate New York on Oct. 6, 2018, remains one of the deadliest ground transportation disasters in United States history. Investigators determined that the brakes failed on the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limousine as it barreled down a hill at 100 mph, carrying 17 friends on their way to a 30th birthday party. It plowed into the parking lot of a busy restaurant and slammed into a ditch. All passengers, the driver and two bystanders perished.
But brake failure was only part of the story.
Host Jessica Marshall and reporter Larry Rulison dig deep into the story of the Schoharie limo crash. How it happened. Why it happened. And how it could have been prevented.
The narrative and the details may be upsetting or disturbing at times. Please listen with care.
After human remains were found during the construction of a new home in the Hudson Valley in April 2024, it took investigators nearly two months to identify them. When they did, the mystery only deepened. Through newly unearthed records, exclusive interviews and a meticulous examination of the evidence, reporter Phillip Pantuso confronts a haunting question: how does a woman disappear for 44 years without anyone asking why?
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18 Mar 2025
More from the Times Union - 'Rainwalker: The Lost Boy'
On Nov. 1, 2007, a 12-year-old boy named Jaliek Rainwalker went missing in upstate New York. His adoptive father was the last person to see him alive. The case was ruled a probable homicide, but no one has ever been charged. Times Union journalists reopen the cold case to search for answers.
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12 Mar 2025
13. Victim Impact
Who were the 20 people who died in the Schoharie limo crash? In this episode, we’ll look at the lives they led and how they were all connected.
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12 Nov 2024
Update
An appellate court in Albany has rejected Nauman Hussain’s appeal, upholding his 2023 manslaughter conviction in the deaths of the 20 victims of the Schoharie limo crash.
22 Oct 2024
12. Loose Ends
As Nauman Hussain awaits the results of his appeal, unanswered questions still linger around his case and the crash.
15 Oct 2024
11. Reflections
Limo company operator Nauman Hussain receives his sentence. The families of the limo victims begin to settle lawsuits with Mavis Discount Tire. And Larry Rulison hears from someone he's been trying to reach for a very long time.
8 Oct 2024
10. Justice
Nauman Hussain's trial continues in Schoharie, where shocking testimony from former employees of the Mavis Discount Tire in Saratoga Springs reveals new information about the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limousine and its maintenance record.
1 Oct 2024
9. Scapegoat?
Nearly 5 years after the crash, Nauman Hussain's trial begins in Schoharie. While the prosecution fumbles, the defense deftly raises questions and points to faults in the system.
24 Sept 2024
8. Expect the Unexpected
Limo company operator Nauman Hussain took a plea deal that would spare him prison time. But in a shocking twist, a new judge rejects the plea deal and gives him a choice: prison or trial.
17 Sept 2024
7. The Informant
The FBI agrees to share an internal investigation into its handling of informant Shahed Hussain amid pressure to answer questions about whether they were shielding his family from misdeeds that led to the limo crash. And Hussain finally breaks his six-year silence.
3 Sept 2024
6. Community Service
The Schoharie county District Attorney and Nauman Hussain’s defense team hammer out a plea deal that devastates the limo families, and raises questions about whether the FBI was protecting the Hussain family.
27 Aug 2024
5. Roadblocks
The cause of the crash is finally revealed, but some of the details — including text messages from those in the limo — raise more questions. Reporter Larry Rulison continues his investigations, filing stories from his hospital bed as he experiences a major health crisis.
20 Aug 2024
4. 'It will destroy you'
A grand jury brings criminal charges against Prestige Limousine operator Nauman Hussain, and the Schoharie County District Attorney won't let the National Transportation Safety Board anywhere near the limo wreckage. Meanwhile, the limo families reckon with what happened to their loved ones.
13 Aug 2024
3. Devil in the Details
As the investigation into the limo crash unfolds, major bureaucratic failures begin to emerge. The limo failed multiple inspections, received multiple out of service violations, and was ordered off the road three times before the crash. Yet somehow, it still had a valid registration, and was still on the road.
6 Aug 2024
2. The Aftermath
An investigation into the cause of the crash begins almost immediately. Meanwhile, state police struggles to identify victims. The Times Union starts to dig into who owns the limo company, and finds some unexpected connections.
30 Jul 2024
1. The Crash
On October 6, 2018, a white Ford Excursion stretch limousine barreled down a hill in Schoharie, New York. Going 100 miles per hour, it plowed through an intersection and into the parking lot of a busy country restaurant. It slammed into a parked car before crashing violently into a ditch. All 17 passengers, the driver, and 2 bystanders died. For those who witnessed the crash, the specter of that white blur will haunt them forever.
18 Jul 2024
Catastrophic Failure: TRAILER
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