US transportation board to probe some limousine crashes in wake of fatal wreck that killed 4

The National Transportation Safety Board has agreed to investigate some limousine accidents, something it has rarely done in the past.

The announcement follows July's crash in Long Island, New York's wine country, when a pickup truck smashed into a limousine carrying eight friends, killing four women.

NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss says the federal agency will investigate limousine crashes on a case-by-case basis. He noted the agency recently issued a report on the 2014 crash in New Jersey that injured comedian Tracy Morgan.

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer says the decision resulted from a letter he sent to the NTSB. He says some limousines are taken to body shops and stretched — creating possible safety hazards.

The NTSB is not currently investigating the Long Island crash, which happened while the limo was making a U-turn in Cutchogue (KUHT'-chawg).