New York Limo Crash: Parents of one of 20 people killed file lawsuit
SCHOHARIE, New York (WABC) -- The operators of a limousine that crashed and killed 20 people in upstate New York were grossly negligent in putting the "dangerous and defective" vehicle on the road, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by one of the victim's parents.
Amanda Rivenburg, 29, was among 18 people in the limousine that barreled through a stop sign at the bottom of a hill and crashed into a ravine in rural Schoharie, New York on Oct. 6. Two pedestrians also were killed.
RELATED: Remembering those killed in the Schoharie crash
The lawsuit, among the first filed since the tragedy, seeks unspecified damages in state court from Prestige limousine service owner Shahed Hussain and his son Nauman Hussain.
Nauman Hussain has pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminally negligent homicide. State police have said Shahed Hussain is in Pakistan.
The lawsuit claims that limousine operators kept it on the road after it failed inspection for brake problems and other issues. A windshield sticker placed on the limousine by state transportation officials deeming the vehicle "unserviceable" was removed before the accident, according to the lawsuit.
ABC News first reported that the limousine had failed a safety inspection in part because of a brake malfunction.
Inspection records reviewed by ABC News show that the vehicle received a violation for "ABS malfunction indicators for hydraulic brake system." State transportation officials declined to immediately elaborate.
The inspection record shows six violations from the limousine's September 4 inspection, including a violation for "failure to correct defects noted on the previous inspection report." Prestige Limousine, which owns the vehicle, had 22 violations in the past two years, and New York State has moved to shut down the owner, Prestige Limousine.
The lawsuit seeks damages "based on the grossly negligent, willful misconduct and complete indifference exemplified by the defendants and their conscious disregard to the health and safety of the patrons."
A lawyer representing the Hussains said she had no comment on the pending litigation.
Rivenburg lived in the Albany area and worked for a nonprofit that helps people who have disabilities.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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