Catastrophic Failure

By Times UnionSociety & Culture Documentary True Crime

Catastrophic Failure episodes

September 03, 2024 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.

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41 min
August 27, 2024 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.

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41 min
August 20, 2024 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.

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41 min
August 13, 2024 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.

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43 min
August 06, 2024 2. The Aftermath
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.

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33 min
July 30, 2024 1. The Crash
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 white blur will haunt them forever.

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38 min
July 18, 2024 Catastrophic Failure: TRAILER
A new podcast from the Times Union. Coming soon.

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3 min

About Catastrophic Failure

From the publisher's feed

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.