Limo crash in New York: Vehicle 'failed inspection' and driver 'did not have licence to operate’

The driver of a limo that crashed in New York, killing 20, was not properly licensed, and the vehicle failed an inspection last month and should not have been on the road, Governor Andrew Cuomo has said.

The limo driver, 17 young adults and two pedestrians died in the crash on Saturday which officials have described as the deadliest US transport crash in nearly a decade.

The state ordered the owner, Prestige Limousine, shut down while an investigation continues into the tragedy.

"In my opinion, the owner of this company had no business putting a failed vehicle on the road," the governor said while attending a Columbus Day Parade in New York City on Monday.

"Prestige has a lot of questions to answer."

Mr Cuomo said that the state is now aiming to stop Prestige Limo from operating until an investigation into the incident has concluded.

The party of 17 were in the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine to celebrate a 30^th birthday and were heading to a brewery in upstate New York when the vehicle crashed.

Four sisters and their husbands and two newlyweds were among those killed.

Amy Steenburg, who was celebrating her 30th birthday with the limo ride, was killed alongside her husband Axel Steenburg. Her three sisters Mary Dyson, Allison King and Abby Jackson and his brother Rich Steenburg also died, according to the New York Times.

Two of the victims Erin and Shane McGowan were just starting a life together after five months of marriage.

Anthony Vertucci, Erin’s father, shared photos of her wedding day and wrote: “My heart has stopped. Unspeakable tragedy I can’t comprehend and will never come to terms with.”

The accident happened in the tiny town of Schoharie, 170 miles north of New York City. According to police, the driver of the rented limo failed to stop at a T-junction, careered into a car park at speed, struck an SUV and slammed into pedestrians, killing two.

It then rolled off-road, ending up in a ditch.

Witnesses on Saturday described chaos, with a massive turnout of ambulances and other responders. "I heard some screaming. It looked serious because people were running back and forth," Bridey Finegan, of Schoharie, told WNYT NewsChannel 13 .

The crash "sounded like an explosion," said Linda Riley, of nearby Schenectady, who was on a shopping trip with her sisters and had been in their parked car at the store, which sits near a T-junction of two New York state highways.

When she got out of her vehicle, she saw a body on the ground and broken tree branches everywhere, she said. State police are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.