Catastrophic Failure | Podcast on Podbay

Catastrophic Failure

Times Union

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. But brake failure was only part of the story. Host Jessica Marshall and reporter Larry Rulison dig deep into the story of the Schoharie limo crash. How it happened. Why it happened. And how it could have been prevented. The narrative and the details may be upsetting or disturbing at times. Please listen with care.

As Nauman Hussain awaits the results of his appeal, unanswered questions still linger around his case and the crash.

Oct 22, 2024

53 min

11. Reflections

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.

Oct 15, 2024

52 min

10. Justice

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.

Oct 8, 2024

56 min

9. Scapegoat?

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.

Oct 1, 2024

32 min

8. Expect the Unexpected

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.

Sep 24, 2024

32 min

7. The Informant

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.

Sep 17, 2024

52 min

6. Community Service

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.

Sep 3, 2024

40 min

5. Roadblocks

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.

Aug 27, 2024

40 min

4. 'It will destroy you'

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.

Aug 20, 2024

40 min

3. Devil in the Details

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.

Aug 13, 2024

42 min