Limo in deadly crash failed inspection; driver didn’t have proper license, says Gov. Cuomo

The 2001 Ford Excursion limousine involved in the

crash that killed 20 people

this weekend reportedly failed an inspection by the New York state’s

Department of Motor Vehicles

last month, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The vehicle was “not supposed to be on the road,” he said.

Cuomo added that the driver of the limousine did not have the appropriate

driver’s license

to be operating the vehicle. The state is currently pursuing a cease-and-desist order to prevent Prestige Limo (the business where the limo was rented) from operating until the investigation is completed.

Vehicles owned by Prestige Limo have been inspected yearly for the past five years and had a total of four vehicles taken out of service as a result of those inspections. According to Department of Transportation records, that’s four times the national average.

One of the victims actually texted concerns about the “terrible condition” of the limo fewer than 20 minutes before the disaster occurred, according to her aunt. This investigation is ongoing, so we expect further updates to come as investigators continue to probe accident.

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