Schoharie limo crash docs are now public here.

Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara in reaction to recent developments in the Schoharie limousine crash case reiterated his continued commitment to public safety concerning limousine safety laws.

“There is no excuse for the horrific crash that took lives from our community. It’s tragic beyond words that the families of those who lost their lives constantly have to relive this terrible day,” said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara. “Like many of you, I’m outraged by the recent claims that the victims should have known the danger they faced when they stepped in the limo. I’ll never stop working to make sure something like this never happens again.”

This week, lawyers representing the owner of the limousine company have claimed that their client is not at fault for the disaster, as the victims should have known the limousine was dangerous.[1] Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board released the documents outlining the events of the horrific crash. The documents can be found here.

In response to the Schoharie tragedy, Santabarbara authored several new laws on limo safety. They include requiring for-hire limousines to be equipped with GPS systems (Ch. 11 of 2020); prohibiting limousine drivers from making U-turns with nine or more passengers in the vehicle and increasing penalties for violations (Ch. 4 of 2020); requiring limousine drivers to obtain a “P” passenger commercial driver’s license and requiring that limousines comply with Department of Transportation (DOT) safety standards (Ch. 6 of 2020); and requiring that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) maintain and annually update its website to provide information on motor carriers operating stretch limousines, including annually verifying that each carrier holds a valid driver’s license (Ch. 12 of 2020).

Additionally, as part of the 2019-20 budget, the legislature passed significant reforms to the limo industry, including: creating new criminal penalties for operating a commercial vehicle without DOT authority or with a suspended registration; authorizing the DOT to seize the license plates of limousines that fail inspection; prohibiting the DMV from registering vehicles that fail to comply with federal motor safety requirements; and requiring stretch limousine owners to display operating authority and inspection qualifications.

[1] https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Schoharie-crash-limo-operator-claims-victims-15510318.php