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Son of limo owner taken into custody after weekend's deadly crash

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. — The man in charge of the company that owned the limousine that was involved in this weekend's deadly crash has been taken into custody and will face charges, multiple news outlets are reporting.

Update: Nauman Hussain was charged with criminally negligent homicide Wednesday, CNN reported. New York State Police and the Department of Transportation had given Hussain written violations telling him that the driver “should not have been operating the type of vehicle involved” in the deadly crash, CNN reported. The DOT also ordered the stretch Ford Excursion taken out of service last month. 

“The sole responsibility for that motor vehicle being on the road Saturday rests with Nauman Hussain,” State Police Superintendent George Beach said Wednesday. He said that troopers could file more charges and conduct more arrests in connection to the crash that killed 20. 

Hussain's attorney disagrees with the allegations that the vehicle was not safe to drive, telling CNN that the DOT said the limo was deemed "roadworthy" last week after minor issues like a broken window latch and faulty windshield wipers were repaired.

Hussain plead not guilty Wednesday night and posted a $150,000 bond. He also surrendered his U.S. passport, CNN reported.

Original report: Nauman Hussain was taken into custody Wednesday morning, USA Today reported.

His attorney says that he expects the charges to be criminally negligent homicide, WTVH reported.

Police made the announcement via Twitter.

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Police said that they were conducting a criminal investigation into the crash that killed 20 people after questions came to light about the condition of the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine.

Hussain's father, Shahed Hussain, who owns Prestige Limousine, was out of the country in Pakistan at the time of the crash. Hussain was operating the business in his father's absence.

A New York state trooper had stopped the limo and it's driver, Scott Lisinicchi, in August after it was found to be carrying 11 people.  Lisinicchi was cited then for driving the vehicle without the right license. The trooper told both Lisinicchi and the company that he was not allowed to drive the vehicle without the proper license, USA Today reported.

The limo failed multiple inspections prior to the crash, once in March and once in September. The Department of Transportation said that after the September fail, the limo had a sticker added taking it out of service, USA Today reported.

The New York Times reported that the company was being operated out of a low-budget hotel.

New York State Police said in a press release the younger Hussain was taken into custody after a controlled stop.

His arrest comes four days after 20 people died when the limo hit two pedestrians, a parked car and landed in a shallow ravine, The New York Times reported.

Federal authorities said the crash was a "high-energy impact" that pushed the engine of the limo into the driver's side, The New York Times reported.

Check back for the latest on this developing story.