One of the 18 passengers killed in a devastating limo crash in upstate New York this weekend texted a friend that the limo carrying friends headed to a surprise birthday celebration was in bad condition.

According to Fox News, Erin Vertucci, a newlywed who was killed with her husband Shane McGowan, texted her cousin shortly before the crash. Vertucci’s aunt reportedly told the Washington Post that Erin said the vehicle was “terrible condition.”

As CrimeOnline previously reported, the limo carrying 18 passengers crashed in Schoharie on Saturday afternoon, after the driver reportedly blew a stop sign at about 60 mph and hit a parked, unoccupied vehicle in the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store. Two people in the parking lot were also killed.

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Vertucci’s aunt reportedly told the Washington Post that the group had rented a bus that had broken down and was replaced by the limousine.

Among the 18 victims killed in the crash were four sisters.

“They did the responsible thing getting a limo so they wouldn’t have to drive anywhere,” their aunt, Barbara Douglas, told the Associated Press. “They were wonderful girls. They’d do anything for you and they were very close to each other and they loved their family.”

[Feature image: Erin Vertucci and Shane McGowan/Handout]

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