Two newlywed couples were amongst the 20 tragically killed after a limo crashed heading to a wedding in New York. Here are the victims.
Twenty people are tragically dead after an absolutely awful limousine accident in the town of Schoharie, New York, which is less than an hour outside of Albany. The limo, which was bringing guests to a wedding, failed to stop at an intersection, and sailed into the parking lot of a nearby Apple Barrel, where it struck an unoccupied car and two pedestrians, police confirm. 18 of the victims of his horrific tragedy were traveling in the limo (all occupants, including the driver, died), while the other two victims were bystanders in the parking lot. All of those killed were adults over the age of 18.
By the afternoon of Oct. 7, the victims had been identified. Those in the limo had gathered at one friend’s house before the wedding, and police used the license plates of their cars to make the identifications. A GoFundMe page has been set up for one couple, Adam and Abby Jackson, who sadly left behind a four-year-old and 16-month old daughters after their sad, sad deaths. “Adam and Abby were amazing parents to these girls and taken much too soon,” the page reads. Another young couple, Erin and Shane McGowan, who were just married in June, also died, along with brothers Rich and Axel Steenburg and Axel’s wife, Amy, who also got married this summer, according to DailyMail.
A witness of the crash recalls seeing the 2001 Ford Excursion limo in the bushes, looking “wrecked” after hitting a tree. The Apple Barrel manager says that the limo looked like it was traveling at over 60 miles per hour as it careened down a hill, through an intersection and into the parking lot. The intersection is notoriously dangerous in the town of Schohaire, according to residents.
“My heart breaks for the 20 people who lost their lives in this horrific accident,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “I commend the first responders who arrived on the scene and worked through the night to help. State polie are working with federal and local authorities to investigate the crash, and I have directed State agencies to provide every resource necessary to aid in this investigation and determine what led to this tragedy.”
