New York State police have arrested the son of the owner of the limo company that owned the limousine involved in a fatal crash in upstate New York last weekend that killed 20 people.
Nauman Hussain was arrested and charged with the criminally negligent homicide Wednesday afternoon, CNN reports. His father, Shahed is the owner of Prestige Limousine Chauffeur Service where Nauman Hussain is an operator of the business, according to police.
The Ford Excursion limo involved in the crash was allegedly going downhill at roughly 60 mph when it sped out of control, through a stop sign, and into a parked car. Seventeen passengers were killed in the crash, along with the driver and two pedestrians.
The limo was a “chopped” vehicle, that had been cut and then elongated into a stretch limo. Those vehicles require special certifications to make sure they’re up to federal safety standards, given that the longer body can put extra strain on the vehicle’s brakes and tires.
According to state officials, the limo involved in the wreck had failed its state inspection last month and should not have been on the road. The limo company and its lawyer have maintained that the issues with the vehicle had been corrected and it was deemed “road safe” last week.
The state also says that the driver did not have the proper license to operate the vehicle.