Limo operator pleads guilty, avoids jail time for deadly 2018 New York crash
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. – The operator of a Saratoga County limousine company will not serve jail time for his role in the 2018 wreck that killed 20 people in upstate New York, most of whom were on their way to a birthday party at a brewery.
Nauman Hussain, 31, pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon in Schoharie County Court to 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide in connection with the Oct. 6 crash, which at the time was the deadliest road wreck in 13 years.
Hussain's plea agreement — signed by him, his attorney Joseph Tacopina and Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery — calls for a sentence of five years probation and 1,000 hours of community service.
The deal also calls for Hussain to forfeit his Fifth Amendment rights in any civil proceedings, requiring him to testify under oath in the various lawsuits filed by family members of the crash's victims.
He will also be prohibited from owning or operating a commercial transportation company during his probation, according to the plea deal.
Prestige Limousine was the owner of a 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limo that barreled through a "T" intersection at the bottom of a steep hill in the rural town of Schoharie, about 30 miles west of Albany.
The limo crashed into an SUV parked in the Apple Barrel Country Store's parking lot, killing the driver, all 17 passengers and two pedestrians.
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The limousine appeared to suffer brake failure and reached speeds of 100 mph as it descended, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB was highly critical of Prestige Limo, noting the vehicle was ordered out of service by the New York Department of Transportation prior to the crash because of issues with the brake system.
But the NTSB also criticized a pair of inspection shops — a Mavis Discount Tire outpost and Wilton Tire Center — that inspected the stretch limousine without proper authority to do so, as well as the state of New York for failing to seize the vehicle's license plates before the crash.
Hussain entered his plea after 1 p.m. Thursday, calmly saying “guilty” to each count as family members sobbed in the audience.
The hearing, which resumed around 2 p.m. with victim impact statements, is being held in the gymnasium of the Schoharie Central Schools to account for a large crowd, which includes members of the victims' families who have long held out hope that Hussain would be put to trial and face jail time.
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Among those killed in the crash were four sisters, including Amy Steenburg, who were traveling to Cooperstown to celebrate Amy's 30th birthday. The husbands of three of the sisters were also aboard the limo and were among those who died.
At one point during the hearing, a woman grew irritated as she was approached by a court employee as her sobs grew louder.
”Don’t touch me,” the woman said before grabbing her crutches to exit the makeshift courtroom. “He killed 20 people.”
Follow Jon Campbell on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN
This article originally appeared on New York State Team: New York limo crash: Operator avoids prison time for deadly 2018 wreck
