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Catastrophic Failure

Times Union 17 Episodes Apr 14, 2026

The limousine crash that killed 20 people in rural upstate New York on Oct. 6, 2018, remains one of the deadliest ground transportation disasters in United States history. Investigators determined that the brakes failed on the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limousine as it barreled down a hill at 100 mph, carrying 17 friends on their way to a 30th birthday party. It plowed into the parking lot of a busy restaurant and slammed into a ditch. All passengers, the driver and two bystanders perished. Host Jessica Marshall and reporter Larry Rulison dig deep into the story of the Schoharie limo crash, exploring how it happened, why it happened, and how it could have been prevented.

Episodes

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13. Victim Impact Mar 12, 2025 3182 Who were the 20 people who died in the Schoharie limo crash? In this episode, we’ll look at the lives they led and how they were all connected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Update Nov 12, 2024 474 An appellate court in Albany has rejected Nauman Hussain’s appeal, upholding his 2023 manslaughter conviction in the deaths of the 20 victims of the Schoharie limo crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12. Loose Ends Oct 22, 2024 3229 As Nauman Hussain awaits the results of his appeal, unanswered questions still linger around his case and the crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11. Reflections Oct 15, 2024 3166 Limo company operator Nauman Hussain receives his sentence. The families of the limo victims begin to settle lawsuits with Mavis Discount Tire. And Larry Rulison hears from someone he's been trying to reach for a very long time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10. Justice Oct 8, 2024 3411 Nauman Hussain's trial continues in Schoharie, where shocking testimony from former employees of the Mavis Discount Tire in Saratoga Springs reveals new information about the 2001 Ford Excursion stretch limousine and its maintenance record. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9. Scapegoat? Oct 1, 2024 1928 Nearly 5 years after the crash, Nauman Hussain's trial begins in Schoharie. While the prosecution fumbles, the defense deftly raises questions and points to faults in the system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8. Expect the Unexpected Sep 24, 2024 1940 Limo company operator Nauman Hussain took a plea deal that would spare him prison time. But in a shocking twist, a new judge rejects the plea deal and gives him a choice: prison or trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7. The Informant Sep 17, 2024 3144 The FBI agrees to share an internal investigation into its handling of informant Shahed Hussain amid pressure to answer questions about whether they were shielding his family from misdeeds that led to the limo crash. And Hussain finally breaks his six-year silence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6. Community Service Sep 3, 2024 2423 The Schoharie county District Attorney and Nauman Hussain’s defense team hammer out a plea deal that devastates the limo families, and raises questions about whether the FBI was protecting the Hussain family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5. Roadblocks Aug 27, 2024 2404 The cause of the crash is finally revealed, but some of the details — including text messages from those in the limo — raise more questions. Reporter Larry Rulison continues his investigations, filing stories from his hospital bed as he experiences a major health crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4. 'It will destroy you' Aug 20, 2024 2428 A grand jury brings criminal charges against Prestige Limousine operator Nauman Hussain, and the Schoharie County District Attorney won't let the National Transportation Safety Board anywhere near the limo wreckage. Meanwhile, the limo families reckon with what happened to their loved ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3. Devil in the Details Aug 13, 2024 2576 As the investigation into the limo crash unfolds, major bureaucratic failures begin to emerge. The limo failed multiple inspections, received multiple out of service violations, and was ordered off the road three times before the crash. Yet somehow, it still had a valid registration, and was still on the road. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2. The Aftermath Aug 6, 2024 1926 An investigation into the cause of the crash begins almost immediately. Meanwhile, state police struggles to identify victims. The Times Union starts to dig into who owns the limo company, and finds some unexpected connections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1. The Crash Jul 30, 2024 2269 On October 6, 2018, a white Ford Excursion stretch limousine barreled down a hill in Schoharie, New York. Going 100 miles per hour, it plowed through an intersection and into the parking lot of a busy country restaurant. It slammed into a parked car before crashing violently into a ditch. All 17 passengers, the driver, and 2 bystanders died. For those who witnessed the crash, the specter of that w

Catastrophic Failure: TRAILER Jul 18, 2024 176 A new podcast from the Times Union. Coming soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catastrophic Failure

Episodes

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