Disaster Limo crash kills 20 people

https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-york-limousine-crash-victims-included-newlyweds-brothers

A limousine crash in upstate New York on Saturday killed 20 people, officials have said. Now, portraits of the victims, including two pairs of newlyweds, have started to emerge.

Officials said all 18 people in the limousine died, as well as two pedestrians. The limo was said to be heading to a friend's birthday party.

Rich Steenburg, 34, his 29-year-old sibling Axel Steenburg and Axel’s wife Amy all were in the limousine and died, the brothers’ stepfather, Lester Andrews, told the New York Times.

“[Axel and Amy] rented the limo with some families,” Andrews told the newspaper. “There’s just a lot of confusion, so many people died.”

The couple had tied the knot this past summer, according to Andrews.

A GoFundMe page is seeking help with funeral costs for the siblings.

Both Steenburg brothers worked for GlobalFoundries, the Albany Times-Union reported. It added that Amanda Rivenburg, a friend of Amy's, also died.

LIMOUSINE CRASHES IN NEW YORK, KILLING 20, AFTER FAILING TO STOP AT INTERSECTION, OFFICIALS SAY

The victims also included parents Abby and Adam Jackson.

“Archer, 4 years old, Elle, 16 months, tragically lost their parents, Adam and Abby, on October 6th in a horrific car accident,” a GoFundMe page says.

Newlyweds Erin Vertucci and Shane McGowan also were killed.

Valerie Abeling, Vertucci's aunt, spoke through tears while giving the news. She said her own daughter had been invited along but couldn't go.

Speaking of the couple, Abeling said Vertucci “was a beautiful, sweet soul; he was too,” Abeling said.

The couple was married at a “beautiful wedding" in June at a venue in upstate New York, Abeling said.

She added, “They had everything going for them.”

Vertucci was 34 and McGowan was 30. They met through Abeling’s daughter.

Vertucci, who grew up in Amsterdam, New York, was an administrative assistant at St. Mary’s Healthcare in Amsterdam.

Saturday's crash in Schoharie was the deadliest transportation incident in the U.S. since a 2009 plane crash in Buffalo, New York, killed 50 people, officials said.

Fucking awful. A car crash so bad the only thing worse was a fucking plane crash almost 10 years ago.

 

[RodgerDodger]

A lot of people are surprised that when it comes to vehicles, (in the US) if it isn't over 20,000 GVW (or 10,000 towed weight) and doesn't have air brakes, you can drive it with the license in your pocket and without any formal training. That's it, no experience, no road test, not even cracking a book in most cases. Which is why so many Uhauls and Penske trucks get written off every year....

https://youtube.com/watch?v=USu8vT_tfdw

Heck, my Dad and I bought an old retired M35 army truck back in 2003, dressed it up so we can take it to shows and parades and stuff.... it's got a curb weight empty of 12,800lbs and it's street legal on the same "C" license you have to drive your regular car to work.

Even scarier, Any requirements for driving Emergency Vehicles, using all the fun Lights and Sirens, are a matter of department policy only. Actual EVOC courses (Emergency Vehicle Operations Certification) are expensive and aren't run very often, so someone can be working for years before they get to take one. EMS People are so far down on the list that they rarely get to go unless they are an officer. (Which is insane because Ambulances spend the most time actually using L&S...) Until recently there was no requirement regarding Firetrucks (vehicles which are technically NOT street legal, since they are all grossly overweight for their chassis and have no braking ability. But they are waivered because Public Emergency Vehicles) they finally added a requirement for a Federal CDL. So a Day course on how to drive a tractor trailer. (And Let me tell you those teachers were as confused to see us as we were to see them.) The result is you have a wide variation in driver abilities. The Firetrucks are generally the least worrisome as the Chaufer/Operator is typically the second most senior person on the squad. Generally the older experienced guys as its a plum position that doesn't involve the roof falling on your head. Seniority counts. The Cops are all over the place, but they at least typically get a weeks driver training in the Academy. Ambulances are the scary one as the Driver is always the least Medically Trained and Certified person on the crew. So the probie! Or whatever wandering hosehead is within arms reach at the fire station. Driving EMS is a thankless job so the Senior guys avoid it. So yeah if you see the word AMBULANCE spelled out in your rearview mirror, be afraid! Chances are it's a 19 year old maniac riding an Adrenaline High. (Or pray that the patient on board is a puker. In the case of a puker the senior medical guy, being the wise old sort WILL take the keys and drive himself and leave the probie to hold the bucket).

 

[AprilRains]

Twenty dead?

That's one hell of a score.

HAW HAW HAW

 

[Xenomorph]

Terrible tragedy. I cant imagine what it was like for the people riding in the limo and I also cant imagine how terrible is was to be a first responder to this horrific crash.

 

[Goofy Logic]

No, the Humboldt crash had a truck driver t-bone the bus. There was no other driver in this crash, the limo struck an empty SUV.

Both happened at a t-intersection, involved high-occupancy vehicles and had a high death rate.

 

[sasazuka]

The Humboldt crash was at a full 4-way intersection (Highway 35 and 335). So it's a lower case t-intersection.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

A lot of people are surprised that when it comes to vehicles, (in the US) if it isn't over 20,000 GVW (or 10,000 towed weight) and doesn't have air brakes, you can drive it with the license in your pocket and without any formal training. That's it, no experience, no road test, not even cracking a book in most cases. Which is why so many Uhauls and Penske trucks get written off every year....

26,000 lbs GVW. There are exemptions if it's a "recreational vehicle". That's why you are seeing those ridiculous 40+ foot toyhaulers and converted coach buses now. That shit is nuts. Those folks don't have a clue half the time. I-90 in South Dakota during Sturgis is scary as fuck.

You also have agriculture exemptions, which is how I learned. 16 year old me put-putting down the highway in an overloaded International Loadstar with a load of dry peas. No biggie though. I only went 35 mph with a load on.

The thing is that CDL requirements don't really teach you how to drive. Especially a Class B. It's mostly about pre-trip/post-trip and HOS. Just memorizing a bunch of stuff. Then you take the CDL tester person on a short drive and if you don't do something stupid (like hop a curb) you pass.

It's the classes where the instructor holds the hands of the morons the whole time that produce the problem drivers. Once they get their licence and move out from under the trainer's wing they have to make decisions. Being idiots, they really suck at it. You can't teach common sense.

 

[neverendingmidi]

26,000 lbs GVW. There are exemptions if it's a "recreational vehicle". That's why you are seeing those ridiculous 40+ foot toyhaulers and converted coach buses now. That shit is nuts. Those folks don't have a clue half the time. I-90 in South Dakota during Sturgis is scary as fuck.

You also have agriculture exemptions, which is how I learned. 16 year old me put-putting down the highway in an overloaded International Loadstar with a load of dry peas. No biggie though. I only went 35 mph with a load on.

The thing is that CDL requirements don't really teach you how to drive. Especially a Class B. It's mostly about pre-trip/post-trip and HOS. Just memorizing a bunch of stuff. Then you take the CDL tester person on a short drive and if you don't do something stupid (like hop a curb) you pass.

It's the classes where the instructor holds the hands of the morons the whole time that produce the problem drivers. Once they get their licence and move out from under the trainer's wing they have to make decisions. Being idiots, they really suck at it. You can't teach common sense.

I’ve always wanted a big RV (one of those “if I won the lottery” dreams), but then I also want to take a specific driving course for it, before I bought one.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

I’ve always wanted a big RV (one of those “if I won the lottery” dreams), but then I also want to take a specific driving course for it, before I bought one.

The problem with RVs is the same issue this limo driver had and those poor souls that hit bridges in rental trucks. You don't get enough wheel time with them.

Take all the classes you want and I bet you still hop the curb on the first right turn you take. The reason is familiarity. You will have to consciously drive it until you get used to it which is going to take a few days maybe weeks of steady driving. Then, when you are done, you park it and forget again and the cycle repeats.

There really is no cure for this except being vigilant and not distracted when you slide behind the wheel which is something no class is going to help you with.

 

[TowinKarz]

The problem with RVs is the same issue this limo driver had and those poor souls that hit bridges in rental trucks. You don't get enough wheel time with them.

Take all the classes you want and I bet you still hop the curb on the first right turn you take. The reason is familiarity. You will have to consciously drive it until you get used to it which is going to take a few days maybe weeks of steady driving. Then, when you are done, you park it and forget again and the cycle repeats.

There really is no cure for this except being vigilant and not distracted when you slide behind the wheel which is something no class is going to help you with.

There's a saying at my job, "Hire drivers, not steering wheel holders"

Meaning a safe operator is 90 per cent mental, knowing your speed, spacing and surroundings before you have to suddenly make a move will prevent a hundred more accidents than just having good reflexes.