Advertise on podcast: Catastrophic Failure

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★★★★★

4.6

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27 reviews

Description

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.

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Check latest episodes from Catastrophic Failure podcast

More from the Times Union - 'Long Buried'

2026/04/14

After human remains were found during the construction of a new home in the Hudson Valley in April 2024, it took investigators nearly two months to identify them. When they did, the mystery only deepened. Through newly unearthed records, exclusive interviews and a meticulous examination of the evidence, reporter Phillip Pantuso confronts a haunting question: how does a woman disappear for 44 years without anyone asking why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from the Times Union - 'Rainwalker: The Lost Boy'

2025/03/18

On Nov. 1, 2007, a 12-year-old boy named Jaliek Rainwalker went missing in upstate New York. His adoptive father was the last person to see him alive. The case was ruled a probable homicide, but no one has ever been charged. Times Union journalists reopen the cold case to search for answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13. Victim Impact

2025/03/12

Who were the 20 people who died in the Schoharie limo crash? In this episode, we’ll look at the lives they led and how they were all connected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Update

2024/11/12

An appellate court in Albany has rejected Nauman Hussain’s appeal, upholding his 2023 manslaughter conviction in the deaths of the 20 victims of the Schoharie limo crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12. Loose Ends

2024/10/22

As Nauman Hussain awaits the results of his appeal, unanswered questions still linger around his case and the crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11. Reflections

2024/10/15

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

10. Justice

2024/10/08

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9. Scapegoat?

2024/10/01

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8. Expect the Unexpected

2024/09/24

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

7. The Informant

2024/09/17

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6. Community Service

2024/09/03

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5. Roadblocks

2024/08/27

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4. 'It will destroy you'

2024/08/20

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3. Devil in the Details

2024/08/13

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2. The Aftermath

2024/08/06

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcast reviews

Read Catastrophic Failure podcast reviews

4.6 out of 5

27 reviews

★★★★★

blizzard booty 2024/10/07

Insightful Retelling of a Tragic Event

Jessica Marshall has done an outstanding job crafting a well-researched and engaging podcast that dives deep into this tragic event. Growing up in Ups...

★★★★★

Riverbuny 2024/08/25

So well done

Finding this podcast so interesting love the way it’s narrated

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