Scott Lisinicchia
Scott Lisinicchia has been identified as the limo driver involved in the deadly crash in upstate New York on October 6, 2018. Twenty people were killed, including Lisinicchia, 17 passengers and two pedestrians.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Scott Lisinicchia’s Twin Brother Named Him as the Driver
Man identifies himself as twin brother of limo driver – says Scott Lisinicchia, 53 was behind wheel. Headed to Cooperstown when limo crashed in Schoharie, NY Saturday. 20 killed.
Lisinicchia’s twin brother reportedly went to the scene of the crash and spoke with reporters.
Michael Benny of WTVH-TV shared the update on Twitter. He wrote, “Man identifies himself as twin brother of limo driver – says Scott Lisinicchia, 53 was behind wheel. Headed to Cooperstown when limo crashed in Schoharie, NY Saturday. 20 killed.”
Lisinicchia was originally from Ballston Spa, New York, and lived in Lake George.
2. New York Governor: Lisinicchia Was Not Properly Licensed to be Driving the Limo & the Crashed Vehicle Had Recently Failed an Inspection
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo revealed October 8 that Lisinicchia was not permitted to be operating the limousine. He needed a commercial driver’s license, but did not have one.
Cuomo also revealed that the vehicle, owned by Prestige Limousine, should never have been on the road. The vehicle had failed a safety inspection in September. The company was also required to obtain a federal certification for the vehicle, because of its extra-large size. But the company did not have that certification.
Governor Cuomo told reporters, “In my opinion, the owner of this company had no business putting a failed vehicle on the road. Prestige has a lot of questions to answer.” Prestige Limousine had been ordered to stop operating by state officials, until the federal investigation is complete. New York State police have also reportedly opened a criminal investigation.
The exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined and the National Transportation Safety Board quickly joined the investigation. During a news conference, State Police First Deputy Superintendent Christopher Fiore did not mention whether the vehicle had been speeding and did not comment on whether anyone had been wearing seatbelts.
3. Scott Lisinicchia was Married
Scott Lisinicchia’s wife, Kim, posted about his death on Facebook. She wrote on October 7, “Im at a loss for words! I lost my best friend to a car accident yesterday?. I wont be on Facebook for a while….please keep our family in prayer! Love you Scott….R.I.P.”
According to her Facebook page, Kim Lisinicchia owns a fashion company. She lists Los Angeles as her hometown. Her page does not indicate how long she and Scott had been married.
Family members started a GoFundMe campaign to help Kim pay for the funeral. The page includes the following words: “Saturday afternoon October 6, 2018, our dear friend Scott passed away tragically in an unfortunate limousine accident in Schoharie, NY. Words can not express the grief and sorrow that we, his family and friends are experiencing. The entire community is shocked and devastated with the news of this terrible accident and Scott’s untimely passing. We will miss him beyond measure.”
4. Kim Lisinicchia Says Prestige Limousine is Responsible for the Deadly Crash & That Her Husband Had Complained About the State of the Vehicles
Limo driver’s wife says her husband had complained about the company’s cars: “There were a few times where he told me, like I overheard him say, ‘I’m not going to drive this, like this, you need to give me another car'”
Scott Lisinicchia’s widow, Kim, spoke with CBS News’ Demarco Morgan about the crash. She said she feels her husband has been blamed for the accident. But she places the responsibility squarely with Prestige Limousine. She revealed that Scott had been working part-time for Prestige for about a year, and that he had complained about the vehicles he was asked to drive. “There were a few times where he told me, like I overheard him say, ‘I’m not going to drive this, like this, you need to give me another car.'”
Prestige Limousine was cited 22 times for violations within the past two months. Federal records show the violations included vehicles with malfunctioning brakes. Kim calls the record “unacceptable.” “They should have been more responsible. You have a company where you have people’s lives in your hands.”
She dismissed the fact that Scott did not have a commercial driver’s license, arguing that he had been driving tractor-trailers for more than two decades and was an “excellent driver.” Kim said she feels it would not have mattered if he did have the proper license, since the vehicle had failed a safety inspection the previous month.
5. Twenty People Were Killed in the Crash, Including Everyone Inside the Limo & Two Pedestrians
The latest – four sisters, two of their husbands, a husband’s brother – all lost during the worst crash in U.S. history since 2009. The group rented the limo to celebrate one of the sister’s birthdays. @RobertGavinTU @mallorymoench @shugheswrites
Twenty people were killed in the crash, which happened in Schoharie about 40 miles west of Albany. It was the deadliest transportation incident in the United States since 2009. State police said the 2001 Ford Excursion limo drove through a stop sign at the intersection of State Routes 30 and 30A. The Times Union has reported that the intersection has long been considered dangerous.
The limo flew past the intersection and into the parking lot of a Apple Barrel Country Store. Store manager Jessica Kirby told the New York Times, “That limo was coming down that hill probably over 60 miles per hour.” The limo struck an unoccupied SUV and two bystanders, who were also killed, before crashing into a ravine near the road.
Among the 20 who died in Saturday’s crash, a newlywed couple.
The 17 passengers and the driver were all killed. Police have not yet publicly released the names of the victims, and were conducting autopsies. But family members have been talking to members of the media about their loved ones. They revealed that the passengers, all adults, were headed to a birthday celebration.
Two of the victims were identified as newlyweds Erin Vertucci and Shane McGowan. Vertucci’s aunt, Valerie Abeling told CNN the couple was married in June. “It’s a horrible tragedy and there’s no words to describe how we feel.”
Another pair of newlyweds, Axel and Amy Steenburg, had rented the limo. They were headed to brewery in Cooperstown, New York, to celebrate Amy’s 30th birthday. The New York Times reported that Amy’s sisters and Axel’s brother were also killed in the crash. Their names were revealed as Mary Dyson, Allison King, Abby Jackson and Rich Steenburg.
Adam and Abby Jackson were identified as two more victims on a GoFundMe page. They leave behind two young children.
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