Rural community seeks solace, as one

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. _ The song "Lean On Me" rang through the high school auditorium and hundreds sang in unison.

Six Central Bridge firefighters stood up among the sitting crowd. They embraced, as a few wept, pressing their heads together _ leaning on each other.

"We recognize the scope of this tragedy has touched so many places and so many people," the Rev. Sherri Meyer-Veen said. "But we stand together _ acknowledging grief and loss, and together seeking consolation and hope."

People living in the rural community of Schoharie, where 20 people died in Saturday's limousine wreck, gathered Wednesday night at the Schoharie High School gym to show their support for the victims and families they left behind and to the emergency workers at the scene.

"It is with heavy hearts that we open our doors to our community tonight," Schoharie Superintendent David Blanchard said. "We come together to remember the lives that were lost and to support all those impacted by this recent tragedy."

This was the second vigil for the 20 victims. The first was Monday in Amsterdam, where most victims lived or grew up.

Wednesday's vigil was originally planned for the Apple Barrel Country Store, the scene of the crash, but was moved due to the massive crowd that was expected.

Messages of hope and support were given. Songs including "Amazing Grace" were performed, a moment of silence was held and the names of the 20 victims were read. Also read was a list of first responder agencies that were at the scene.

Police, firefighters, EMTs and tow truck drivers were asked to stand. They were met with a standing ovation.

"(The grieving) is not going to stop," Schoharie Fire Chief Marty Pierce said. "It is going to take time."

Pierce said fire departments have spent the last few days in critical stress debriefing.

"We are working on getting back to operating how we were before this," Pierce said.

Pierce said while some firefighters are having a hard time, they have received countless messages of support, not only from people in the community but across the nation.

"We are leaning on each other," Pierce said. "It's not just police. It's not just fire departments. It's not just EMTs. It's all of us. We are a family. And we are going to get through this together."

Funerals will begin with a private ceremony Friday for Savannah Devonne Bursese. The arrangements are being handled by a funeral home in Gloversville. Funerals will be Saturday and Monday in Amsterdam for other victims.

Seventeen friends from the city and surrounding communities were headed to a Cooperstown brewery to celebrate a birthday when the limousine from Prestige Limousine in Wilton crashed at the intersection of routes 30 and 30A.

The limo hit a parked car in the Apple Barrel's lot, killed two bystanders and crashed into a ditch. The driver and all in the limo died.

At the vigil, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said unfortunately they will never find out the reason why these 20 people were taken so soon.

"Why the experience and excursion ended in such a horrific way, shattering lives, and not only leaving a physical wreck but also an emotional wreck left behind," Hochul said. "I don't think we will get to the answer of why, because that was in God's hands."

But there is one question she's determined to have answered.

"We will find out how," Hochul said. "How that vehicle was on the road, that was not safe to carry individuals."

The limousine had failed two state inspections this year. The State Police are conducting a criminal investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting its own probe.

Nauman Hussain, 28, of Cohoes, the son of the owner of the limo company, was arraigned a few miles away in Cobleskill at the same time as the vigil on a criminally negligent homicide court and posted bail.

The mood of Wednesday's vigil was somber. Family, friends, community members and first responders clutched each other.

A banner hung above them that read "Schoharie Valley Strong. We remember the victims. We honor our emergency services first responders."

"We will continue to grieve," Hochul said. "Because that meant that these individuals were so deeply loved."

In the days since the crash more than $565,000 has been raised for the victims as of Wednesday night.

GoFundMe pages and Facebook fundraisers were set up by the victims' families, friends, colleagues, former classmates and sorority sisters to help pay for funeral expenses and, in some cases, support the care of the children who lost parents.