#Limo crash killing 20 partly caused by state agencies: NTSB

The wedding-limo crash that killed 20 people in upstate Schoharie in 2018 was partly caused by do-nothing regulators from two state agencies, the NTSB said in its final report Tuesday.

“Seventeen young people made the smart, safe decision to arrange for sober transportation when celebrating,” Michael Graham, a member of the federal safety agency, said during an online hearing, referring to the limo occupants who died along with their rented driver and two more people hit by the limo.

“They put their trust and safety into system designed to protect them, and it failed,’’ Graham said.

Workers at the state departments of Transportation and Motor Vehicles failed to act on a slew of violations, including some involving its faulty brakes, while the vehicle’s owner showed an “egregious disregard for safety’’ over the vehicle, the report said.