Twenty people were killed in a wedding limousine crash in Schoharie County, New York, police have confirmed.

According to local media the vehicle sped down a hill a crashed into bystanders in the rural county.

Police said the driver of a limo carrying 17 passengers didn't stop at an intersection. Witnesses at the scene said several bodies could be seen on the ground after the horror crash.

Family have identified Erin and Shane McGowan, who only just walked down the aisle in June, as two of the victims who were in the vehicle.

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Adam and Abby Jackson, parents to four-year-old Archer and 16-month-old Abby, were also killed.

They were all guests at the wedding on Saturday.

The Times Union reports that at least two vehicles - including an SUV-style stretch limousine reported to be en route to a wedding - were involved in the crash on Saturday afternoon.

Two of the 20 killed were pedestrians, officials said on Sunday. All those who died were adults.

Bridey Finegan of Schoharie lives just down the road from the scene of the crash.

She said: "I saw a lot of people here at the Apple Barrel out in the parking lot. Then I heard screaming.

"Then I saw this large van, a very unusual looking vehicle out here in Scoharie in the bushes and really wrecked, hit a tree."

“The first responders broke some windows to try to get people out. I believe the jaws of life were here on the side of one of the fire trucks,” said Finnagen.

Bill Waterson and his son, Bill Jr., came to the scene at 10am local time today

Waterson said he and his son were supposed to attend the wedding that the people in the limo were traveling from.

"I couldn't believe it when I came out of the woods," he said. "This is terrible, terrible, terrible."

Neighbors living close by say they heard a loud bang and came outside to see people running from the café to help.

Some eyewitnesses at the accident say the limo went through the intersection, hitting another car and pedestrians before going into the gully, reports News Channel 13.

"This is a two-vehicle, multi-fatality investigation,” said State Police Capt. Richard O’Brien.

“It's very preliminary. In it's infancy stages. We have several units investigating."

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board announced Sunday morning that it is sending a "go-team" to the site of the deadly crash

Investigators worked into the night on what is likely to be the deadliest vehicle crash the region has seen in years.

The names of the victims are not being released at this time as next of kin are being notified.

The crash happened near the Apple Barrel Country Store.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "My heart breaks for the 20 people who lost their lives."

The Apple Barrel posted a note on Facebook confirming it will be open Sunday, and are collecting donations for the local volunteer agencies who responded to the scene of the crash.

"We hope you will come and share your smiles, love, friendship and hugs with us. We also hope you will share your change. We will be collecting donations for our local volunteer emergency services. They are the heroes of our small community."

Schoharie is southwest of Albany and roughly 180 miles from New York City. </s> Twenty people were killed after a limousine rammed into a parked vehicle and several pedestrians on Saturday afternoon in New York, CNN reported. The accident took place in Schoharie town in New York’s capital Albany.

The stretch limousine was carrying several couples to a birthday party and was travelling on State Route 30 when it failed to stop at an intersection and collided with an SUN in the parking lot. All 18 people, including the driver, in the limo were killed, CNN quoted New York State Police First Deputy Superintendent Chris Fiore as saying. Two pedestrians standing near the SUV were also killed.

“Twenty fatalities is just horrific,” said New York State Police and the National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt, according to Reuters. “I have been on the board for 12 years and this is one of the biggest loss of lives that we’ve seen in a long time.”

Sumwalt said it was the deadliest transportation accident in the US since a plane crash in New York’s Buffalo in 2009 that killed 49 people. </s> NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twenty people were killed when a stretch limousine crashed into another vehicle and pedestrians in the parking lot of a store in rural upstate New York, in what federal authorities on Sunday called the deadliest U.S. transport crash in nearly a decade.

A 2001 Ford Excursion that had been stretched into a limousine charged through a highway intersection without stopping on Saturday afternoon, New York State Police and the National Transportation Safety Board said on Sunday.

The limo then hit an unoccupied 2015 Toyota Highlander in the parking lot of a tourist restaurant and slammed into two pedestrians, killing all 18 occupants of the limo and the two people in the parking lot, state police and the NTSB said.

“Twenty fatalities is just horrific. I have been on the board for 12 years and this is one of the biggest loss of lives that we’ve seen in a long time,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt told a news conference on Sunday.

On Sunday, emergency vehicles clustered near the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store, the scene of the crash, in Schoharie, about 40 miles (65 km) west of the state capital, Albany.

It was the deadliest transportation accident in the United States since a 2009 plane crash in Buffalo, New York, that killed 49 people, Sumwalt said.

The dead included at least two pairs of newlyweds, the New York Times reported. No injuries were reported.

Barbara Douglas, the aunt of four sisters who died in the crash, said the victims were smart, beautiful and lived life to the fullest.

“I don’t know how you say it. You can’t wrap you head around such a tragedy where you have four of your daughters die,” she told reporters at the scene.

“I don’t know what to tell you, they were the best nieces that anybody could have,” she said.

Names of the victims have not been released pending notification of the next of kin. The NTSB and the New York State Police were probing the cause of the crash and looking into safety regulations in the limousine industry.

The victims were taken to Albany Medical Center where autopsies were conducted. All those killed were adults, state police said. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The cause of the crash is unclear

Twenty people have been killed in a crash involving a stretch limousine taking people to a party in the US state of New York, police say.

All 18 people in the limousine died along with two pedestrians in the incident on Saturday afternoon in the town of Schoharie, police confirmed.

Witnesses described seeing the SUV-style limousine shoot across a junction and hit another car before ploughing into people in a shop car park.

The cause of the crash is unclear.

The victims have not yet been officially named but the New York Times reports that they include four sisters and at least two pairs of newlyweds. All those killed were adults, police say.

It is America's deadliest transport crash since 2009, said the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Robert Sumwalt.

What happened?

Early reports suggested the car had been taking the group to a wedding reception but later reports said they were travelling to a birthday party.

State police said on Sunday that the passengers in the limousine, described as a 2001 Ford Excursion, would not have been required to wear seatbelts.

Image copyright CBS Image caption Several police units were investigating the fatal incident

The driver was also killed in the crash, they said.

A reporter for local news site Spectrum News, Mercedes Williams, tweeted images and footage from the scene of the incident, which took place near a store and cafe on routes 30 and 30A in Schoharie County.

The images show a long line of emergency services vehicles lining the roads, which were closed to traffic.

Another image shared on Twitter showed a large vehicle that appeared to have veered off the road and crashed into a tree.

Eyewitnesses say a number of people entering and leaving the store were hit in Saturday's incident, local media report.

"I heard this loud bang, I saw a lot of people here at the Apple Barrel [store and cafe] out in the parking lot," said Bridey Finnagen, who lives nearby. "Then I heard screaming."

How is the investigation unfolding?

New York State Police Cpt Richard O'Brien said several separate police units were involved in the investigation, including an identification unit and a drone team.

Authorities have said they expect investigators to be at the scene for at least five days.

Police said that a phone line had been set up to help assist relatives of the victims.

The NTSB is sending a team of investigators.

The location of the intersection is said to be in a hilly region and local authorities had only recently banned large trucks from using sections of the route. </s> ‘Just horrific’: At least 20 killed after limousine crashes in New York

Twenty people were killed Saturday after a stretch limousine crashed into the parking lot of a crowded store in Upstate New York, in what federal authorities are calling the deadliest U.S. transportation accident in nearly a decade.

AP Reports: A witness says a crash that killed 20 people in upstate New York “sounded like an explosion.”

Police said that just before 2 p.m. Saturday, they received reports of an accident involving two vehicles in Schoharie, N.Y., about 30 miles west of Albany.

There, a 2001 Ford Excursion limousine traveling southwest on State Route 30 “failed to stop” at an intersection with State Route 30A, and flew into the parking lot of the nearby Apple Barrel Country Store and Cafe, authorities said.

The limousine struck a 2015 Toyota Highlander that was unoccupied in the parking lot, New York State Police first deputy superintendent Christopher Fiore said at a news conference Sunday. Two pedestrians standing nearby were also struck and killed, Fiore added.

Police said that, of the 20 victims, 18 of them had been inside the limousine. Everyone inside the limousine, including the driver, died in the crash, and all those killed Saturday were adults, police added. READ MORE: </s> 42 people were injured, two seriously, after a bus accident on the Southern State Parkway on Long Island in New York.The top of the bus was sheared off after hitting an overpass near Exit 19 in Lakeview on Sunday just after 9 p.m.In addition to the two seriously injured, five others are said to have moderate injuries. The rest suffered minor injuries.The commercial bus from Journey Bus Tours was traveling eastbound from JFK Airport. Thirty eight students, five chaperones and one driver were all on the bus at the time of the crash. The students had been on a European trip and were headed to the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington Station.Police say that driver, Troy D. Gaston of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was not aware of the parkway system and the lower overpasses. He was driving for Journey Bus Line."I don't think he had any awareness, because if you look at the damage it's a high-impact strike. He made it all the way through," said Maj. David Candelaria, New York State Police. "We're very lucky. This could have been tragic."The New York State Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collision to please contact 631-756-3300. </s> Three people were killed in New York on Tuesday night when a Manhattan-bound train struck a car that was on the tracks, officials said.

The vehicle was "trying to beat the gate" at an intersection in Westbury around 7:30 p.m., according to Nassau County police.

The Long Island Rail Road train hit the vehicle, killing all three people inside, officials said. Several passengers on the commuter train suffered minor injuries.

The transit agency said the train was scheduled to arrive at Penn Station in New York City from Ronkonkoma at 7:56 p.m.

Service was suspended in both directions on the Ronkonkoma and Huntington/Port Jefferson branches.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> (CNN) An 18-year-old woman was killed and at least 22 people injured Thursday when a speeding car plowed into pedestrians in Manhattan's bustling Times Square, city officials said.

Police identified the woman as Alyssa Elsman, a resident of Portage, Michigan.

The driver of the 2009 Honda Accord -- Richard Rojas, 26, of the Bronx -- tested positive for PCP and told police that God made him do it, a law enforcement source told CNN.

The suspect, who suffered from "psychological issues," told police he expected officers to shoot him, according to the source.

Rojas has been arrested twice in New York -- in 2015 and 2008 -- for drunken driving, New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill said.

There is no indication the incident, which unfolded just before noon, was an act of terrorism, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and other officials said. It is being investigated as an accident, a police official said. Charges against the driver are pending.

One of the hospitals treating the injured said four patients were in critical condition Thursday night. Two were in serious condition.

NYC Health + Hospitals Bellevue said it received 13 patients, 10 adults and three teenagers. The serious injuries included pelvic fractures, internal bleeding and head injuries.

Car was 'out of control'

Before striking pedestrians, the car was "out of control," an emergency management official said. Four people were critically injured but are expected to survive, officials said.

do not come to Times Square!!!! My colleagues and I are safe. A post shared by Ed G Val (@semiquasicelebritywannabe) on May 18, 2017 at 9:04am PDT

The speeding car jumped the sidewalk on the west side of 7th Avenue at 42nd Street and barreled into pedestrians for three blocks before crashing at the northwest corner of 45th Street, police said.

Witnesses described a harrowing scene that started with screeching tires and ended with screams, panic and a fiery crash at one of the world's most visited sites.

"A woman in front on the sidewalk was hit and tossed before then car reached 44th st, continued plowing people down at full speed up to 45th street, where it was stopped after crashing into more people and the light post," posted Instagram user Ed G Val, who from across the street "saw the car speeding north on the west sidewalk of southbound 7th Ave."

Harlem resident Tyezhane, 20, who would only give her first name, said she was walking to work at a shoe store when she saw the car on the sidewalk. She bolted across the street.

"There were a lot of people out, enjoying the good day, and then I heard screaming and the car running over bodies," she said. "I didn't know what was going on. At first, I thought someone was intentionally doing it. I was scared for my life."

Social media images show injured people on the street, a car upended at an angle and crowds gathered in the heart of the tourist hub.

'More of a surreal thing'

Elizabeth Long, of Dayton, Ohio, told CNN she was walking to the Hard Rock Cafe when she saw a maroon car heading toward her on the sidewalk. She heard screaming. Fearing the car would hit her, she ran to a nearby building's revolving door.

"I wasn't even all the way in when the car sped by," perhaps 10 feet behind her, said Long, a 54-year-old who was in town to see a musical.

Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square A wrecked vehicle is on fire after hitting pedestrians in New York's Times Square on Thursday, May 18. The incident is being investigated as an accident, a New York police official said. The driver is in custody. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square People attend to one of the victims. At least one person was killed and nearly two dozen were injured, officials said. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square Before striking pedestrians, the car was "out of control," an emergency management official said. Witnesses on social media described a speeding car plowing into people before crashing to a halt. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square Emergency workers surround the crash site. The motorist, 26-year-old Richard Rojas, has been arrested twice in the past for drunken driving, according to the New York police commissioner. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square An injured person receives first aid. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square An injured person lies at the scene. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square The wrecked car leans at the intersection of 45th and Broadway. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square A victim is attended to in this photo tweeted by the New York City Fire Department. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square A victim receives medical attention. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square There is no indication it was an act of terrorism, city leaders said. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Car hits pedestrians in Times Square Police work at the scene. Hide Caption 11 of 11

When Long went outside and looked in the direction the car had gone, she saw at least six people lying on the ground, including a woman lying face-down with blood pouring from her head.

"I'm shaken," said Long, who wasn't injured. "Two of the people I saw that were really hurt. People were beside them, ... we were trying to tell (police) they were hurt."

"I felt so bad ... standing there," not being able to do anything more to help, she said.

Annette Proehl, of Pennsylvania, was in Times Square with children on a field trip when she heard the screeching tires of the vehicle and people screaming. She watched the car slam into a steel divider and catch fire, she said.

Proehl was hit by a piece of gravel but otherwise was not injured, she said.

A wrecked car sits in the intersection of 45th and Broadway in Times Square.

"It was more of a surreal thing," she said. "We initially thought they were filming something."

Patsy Sciutto, who works in Times Square, said she was meeting someone for lunch when an announcement came over a loudspeaker that the building was on lockdown because of an incident outside.

Principal says victim was thoughtful, bright

Elsman was in New York with her sisters, mother and a friend, CNN affiliate WOOD reported

She graduated from Portage Central High School.

"Alyssa was a really thoughtful, really bright, very pleasant young lady. Every interaction I had with her was positive," school principal Eric Alburtus told the Grand Rapids station.

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Officers there told her there was an "unknown speeding car," Sciutto said.

Within moments of the incident, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio rushed to the scene. President Donald Trump, whose home at Trump Tower is one mile from the crash scene, was made aware of the incident almost immediately and given updates, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer tweeted.

#carcrash #timesquarenewyork A post shared by Stan The Man (@killakowal) on May 18, 2017 at 9:26am PDT

The sidewalks around Times Square are secured with more than 200 steel bollards intended to prevent accidental or criminal vehicle intrusions, said Rob Reiter, chief security consultant for CalPipe Security Bollards. The bollards are designed to stop vehicles going about 30 miles an hour, he said.

Times Square averaged about 360,000 daily visitors in April, according to a tally by the Times Square Alliance, making it one of the most visited locations in the world. </s> A car "trying to beat the gate" was struck by two trains going opposite directions in Long Island Tuesday night, killing all passengers in the car, police said.

Seven passengers on the trains were hospitalized, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Just before 7:30 p.m., a car allegedly drove around railroad crossing gates in Westbury, MTA Long Island Rail Road president Phillip Eng told CNN. It was hit by an eastbound train first and then a westbound train. At least one train was traveling at "full speed," according to Nassau County police, and derailed. About 900 passengers were traveling on the trains involved.

The crash ignited fires, and caused significant damage to a concrete platform and rail.

"This is a ... very tragic cautionary tale that you just don't try to beat the train. It's not going to work," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran told CNN.

The vehicle and the vehicle's passengers couldn't immediately be identified.

Cuomo called for a full investigation of the incident. Wednesday, Long Island Rail Road was operating with limited service.
Twenty people are killed in Schoharie County, New York, when a stretch limousine fails to stop at an intersection, veers into a parking lot and strikes an empty vehicle, which in turn hits two pedestrians. All 17 passengers in the limousine are killed, along with the driver and the two pedestrians.