Schoharie Crash: Limo Firm Manager Responsible For Hiring Out SUV

UPDATE — New York State Police Superintendent George Beach has drawn one stark conclusion from the ongoing investigation into the stretch-limo crash that killed 20 on Saturday. "The sole responsibility for that vehicle being on the road Saturday rests with Nauman Hussain," Beach said at a 3 p.m. press conference.

The limo was not federally certified, and it had failed inspection a month before.

The operator of the company was arrested Tuesday and charged with criminally negligent homicide.

Beach answered few questions about the probe. But he did say that other persons are subjects in the ongoing investigation.

Asked if he had requested the owner of Prestige Limo, Nauman Hussain's father Shahad, return to New York from Pakistan, Beach said, "It's not within my legal authority to ask him to come back to the country."

Earlier Wednesday, the lawyer for the family and the company offered apologies on their behalf. The lawyer for the company and the family expressed concern that the investigation was so focused on Prestige. Speaking on SPEC News in Albany, he said both he and his client have gotten death threats. And, he said, no words could express how sorry he and the Hussain family were.

SCHOHARIE, NY — New York State Police have taken the operator of Prestige Limo, the company involved in the upstate crash Saturday that killed 20 people, into custody. Nauman Hussain was taken into custody following a controlled traffic stop, police announced Wednesday morning.

Charges are pending, but an attorney for Nauman Hussain has told reporters that he expects his client to be charged with criminally negligent homicide.

Nauman Hussain was the day-to-day operator of Prestige and the son of company owner, Shahed Hussain, who was once an FBI informant and now lives in Pakistan, the New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, the wife of the driver who died in the crash is talking to the media. She says her husband, Scott Lisinicchia, often complained about the state of the limousines. He did not have the proper license to be driving the stretch SUV he was in on Saturday.

The limo involved in the crash also never should have been on the road. It did not have a required federal certification.

"This vehicle never had that certification, so it violated the federal process," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a press conference Monday. "The state then inspects the vehicle. We inspected the vehicle just last month, it failed the inspection. The driver did not have the appropriate license. So I think the owner of this company, the owner of Prestige has a lot of questions to answer. There's an ongoing investigation. But is there a possibility of liability? Civil and criminal? Certainly."

On Tuesday night, police officially released the identities of all 20 people killed in the crash, which occurred at a notoriously dangerous intersection in Schoharie, about 40 miles west of Albany.

Limo Passengers

Axel J. Steenburg, 29, Amsterdam, NY

Richard M. Steenburg, 34, Johnstown, NY

Amy L. Steenburg, 29, Amsterdam, NY

Allison King, 31, Ballston Spa, NY

Mary E. Dyson, 33, Watertown, NY

Robert J. Dyson, 34, Watertown, NY

Abigail M. Jackson, 34, Amsterdam, NY

Matthew W. Coons, 27, Johnstown, NY

Savannah D. Bursese, 24, Johnstown, NY

Patrick K. Cushing, 31, Troy, NY

Amanda D. Halse, 26, Troy, NY

Erin R. McGowan, 34, Amsterdam, NY

Shane T. McGowan, 30, Amsterdam, NY

Amanda Rivenburg, 29, Colonie, NY

Adam G. Jackson, 34, Amsterdam, NY

Rachael K. Cavosie, 30, Waterford, NY

Michael C. Ukaj, 34, Johnstown, NY

Limo Driver

Scott T. Lisinicchia, 53, Lake George, NY

Pedestrians

Brian Hough, 46, Moravia, NY

James Schnurr, 70, Kerhonkson, NY

This is a breaking news story; return to Patch for updates.

AP PHOTO/ Hans Pennink