Remembering the 20 victims of the Schoharie limo crash

Many family members of the 20 people who died in the 2018 Schoharie limo crash were in court on Monday as the trial began.

The special prosecutor read each of the 20 victims’ names before the jury during the opening statements.

The people who died included 17 friends, along with the driver of the limousine and two people in the parking lot where the limo crashed.

Most of the 17 passengers killed in the tragic crash were part of the same family. They included four sisters from the King family – and three husbands.

The group was celebrating Amy Steenburg’s 30th birthday. Her husband Axel worked at GlobalFoundries. Amy was an RN who worked at the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Amy’s sister Abigail was a special education teacher in Amsterdam.  Her husband Adam Jackson was Deputy Commissioner of the Montgomery County Board of Elections. They left behind two young daughters.

A third sister, Allison King, was also killed, as was their sister Mary Dyson – an Army veteran. She and her husband, Rob, were engineers working in Watertown – with a young son. Her husband’s brother, Rich Steenburg, was among those lost in the crash. He had worked at GlobalFoundries with his brother Axel.

A family friend – Matthew Coons – who’d been a groomsman in Amy’s and Axel’s wedding – was also there to celebrate. He was a personal trainer from Fultonville, and brought his girlfriend, Savannah Devonne, along with him. She’d been an employee at a Johnstown restaurant.

Also in the limo were Erin and Shane McGowen. The pair lived in Amsterdam and had only been married five months at the time of the crash.

Amanda Halse and her boyfriend, Patrick Cushing were also heading to the party. Halse was a waitress in Watervliet. Cushing grew up in Amsterdam, and worked as a staffer for the state Senate’s Technology Services Unit.

The crash took place on Michael Ukaj’s 34th birthday. The Marine Corps veteran lived in Caroga Lake.

Amanda Rivenburg was also killed in the crash. She was an employee at Living Resources, an organization focused on providing growth opportunities for people with disabilities.

Rachael Cavosie worked as a dental hygienist in Troy. She previously volunteered at a yoga and health center in Massachusetts.

Brian Hough and his father–in–law, James Schnurr were in the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store when they were struck and killed by the limousine. Hough was an associate professor at SUNY Oswego.

Scott Lisinicchia of Lake George was driving the limo that crashed.