A limousine carrying four sisters, other relatives and friends to a birthday celebration blew through a stop sign and slammed into a parked SUV outside a store in upstate New York, killing all 18 people in the limo and two pedestrians, officials and victims' relatives said Sunday.
The weekend crash was characterised by authorities as the deadliest US transportation accident in nearly a decade.
The crash turned a relaxed Saturday afternoon to horror at a rural spot popular with tourists viewing the region's fall foliage.
Relatives said the limousine was carrying the sisters and their friends to a 30th birthday celebration for the youngest.
"They were wonderful girls," said their aunt, Barbara Douglas, speaking with reporters Sunday.
"They'd do anything for you and they were very close to each other and they loved their family."
The store manager, Jessica Kirby, told The New York Times the limo was coming down a hill at "probably over 60 mph."
"All of these occurred during business hours and could've killed someone then."
"More accidents than I can count."
"They had everything going for them."
I commend the first responders who arrived on the scene and worked through the night to help ... I have directed state agencies to provide every resource necessary to aid in this investigation and determine what led to this tragedy." ___
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