Nauman Hussain, the operator of Prestige Limousine, was taken into custody following a traffic stop near Albany, police said in a statement. He was charged in connection with the deadly crash.
The vehicle, carrying 17 people on their way to a birthday party on Oct. 6, ran a stop sign at a highway intersection in Schoharie, about 40 miles west of Albany, police and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.
New York State police said the driver did not have the proper license to operate the 2001 Ford Excursion limousine, and that the vehicle had failed inspection last month.
All three vehicles owned by Prestige Limousine, which is based in Gansevoort, New York, had violations when they were inspected last month, U.S. Department of Transportation records show.
The inspection of the limousine that crashed had turned up several violations, including some involving anti-lock brake malfunction indicators and inoperative or defective windshield wipers. It was not known if those issues were factors in the crash.
The widow of the limousine driver told CBS News her husband had complained about the company’s vehicles.