Parents of limo crash victims urge Assembly to act

Parents of the victims of a deadly limousine crash on the East End have been pushing for new safety regulations, but some are worried that lawmakers won't act in time.

News 12 Staff

Jun 16, 2019, 9:59 PM

Updated 1,867 days ago

Share:

Parents of the victims of a deadly limousine crash on the East End have been pushing for new safety regulations, but some are worried that lawmakers won't act in time.
Paul Schulman's daughter Brittney was among the four young women killed in the horrific 2015 limousine crash in Cutchogue. He and Nancy DiMonte -- whose daughter Joelle survived the crash -- worked with lawmakers on a set of bills to strengthen limo safety regulations that just passed the Senate.
"It's so nobody else has to walk my shoes," Schulman explains. "Today is an absolutely miserable day. I have to celebrate Father's Day by going to the cemetery to visit her."
The set of nine bills include measures requiring stretch limos to have seat belts, increasing driver's licensing requirements, and strengthening criminal penalties for those that break traffic laws. The bills now go to the Assembly.
The push comes in the wake of the Cutchogue crash -- and another limo crash last fall that killed 20 people upstate in Schoharie.
"After our crash we thought, 'Oh, that's horrible,' and then less than four years later, 20 people die upstate because of an industry that has not been regulated," says DiMonte.
Family members of the victims of the Cutchogue crash say they're worried the Assembly won't pass the set of bills by the end of the legislative session on June 19. They say if they don't pass by then, they'll have to wait until next year to see if the bills pass.
"Any other Schoharies or Cutchogues that happen from now until then, well the blood of all those people are going to be on the Assembly's hands if they choose to do nothing," says Schulman.
The Long Island Limousine Association tells News 12 that it agrees with backgound checks for drivers -- but says requiring a commercial driver's license may keep businesses from hiring drivers.
DiMonte says the bills could potentially save lives. She plans to write a letter to the Assembly pleading with lawmakers to pass the bills.


More from News 12
2:05
Zillow report: 28 LI communities have million-dollar starter homes

Zillow report: 28 LI communities have million-dollar starter homes

1:14
Wonderful weekend ahead with shower chances early next week

Wonderful weekend ahead with shower chances early next week

0:25
Police: 5 officers injured while arresting man in West Hempstead

Police: 5 officers injured while arresting man in West Hempstead

1:22
Justin Timberlake to be arraigned again for DWI next week

Justin Timberlake to be arraigned again for DWI next week

2:01
Bay Shore Christian School parents left without answers as school owners move to shut down programs

Bay Shore Christian School parents left without answers as school owners move to shut down programs

2:04
Another huge turnout at the Feast of St. Rocco in Glen Cove

Another huge turnout at the Feast of St. Rocco in Glen Cove

1:58
LI program gets kids & parents ready to start school

LI program gets kids & parents ready to start school

1:28
Local Summer Olympics watch party happening in Copiague

Local Summer Olympics watch party happening in Copiague

2:02
Brooklyn man facing assault charges, accused of driving into pedestrians outside Eastern Suffolk BOCES

Brooklyn man facing assault charges, accused of driving into pedestrians outside Eastern Suffolk BOCES

0:18
Sen. Schumer announces $24 million in federal funding to revitalize downtown Riverhead

Sen. Schumer announces $24 million in federal funding to revitalize downtown Riverhead

0:36
Ceremony honors 24 students at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine

Ceremony honors 24 students at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine

1:44
The Real Deal: How to save on expenses amid rising costs in New York

The Real Deal: How to save on expenses amid rising costs in New York

0:33
State report: Long Island has lowest percentage of bridges in poor condition

State report: Long Island has lowest percentage of bridges in poor condition

1:40
Food Truck Friday: The Cone Depot

Food Truck Friday: The Cone Depot

0:20
Suffolk police officers help woman deliver baby in Amityville

Suffolk police officers help woman deliver baby in Amityville

3:44
Deer Park teen blacklisted by bank after falling for a fake check scam

Deer Park teen blacklisted by bank after falling for a fake check scam

1:18
Farm owner: 2 goats, 3 sheep dead after toxic bushes were thrown into pen on East End

Farm owner: 2 goats, 3 sheep dead after toxic bushes were thrown into pen on East End

1:59
Police: Scammers falsely reporting damage on people's properties before damaging it further

Police: Scammers falsely reporting damage on people's properties before damaging it further

1:46
'It’s just treacherous.' Calls for change grow along busy Nassau road amid multiple crashes

'It’s just treacherous.' Calls for change grow along busy Nassau road amid multiple crashes

1:41
Teens learn skills needed to become firefighters at Camp Fahrenheit 516

Teens learn skills needed to become firefighters at Camp Fahrenheit 516