The limo crash that killed 20 people Saturday afternoon hit close to home for Joe Spadaro, CEO of S&S Limousines in LeRoy for more than 20 years.

 “It’s just devastating to hear about all those poor people and poor families, I just can’t believe it,” he said.

Neither the limo nor the driver should’ve been on the road, failing an inspection and lacking a CDL passenger license. But it’s those exact regulations, a small part of 110 pages of state code, that Spadaro said keeps their customers safe.

“There’s so many regulations, I think they’re so important," he said. "I wouldn’t say ones more important than the other.”

For starters, limo companies are audited by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the state of New York, and the federal government. Maintenance must be done on all the vehicles every 2,500 miles and the state inspects all the vehicles twice a year.

“Hours up in the air and underneath and driving tests, brake tests," Spadaro said. "They measure the G-forces, it’s so much more than you taking your car in to be inspected.”

The drivers must have a physical, background check and a CDL passenger license. Additionally, they must be fingerprinted, take regular drug tests, a road test twice a year, and log the condition of their vehicles before and after any trip.

“It's a ton of responsibility," Spadaro said. "That’s why we do everything we can to make it safe.”

Like Governor Andrew Cuomo, he agrees more regulations may not be the answer, but that critical regulations weren't followed in this case.

 “There's a lot, a lot of regulations. I couldn’t think of more they can do," Spadaro said. "It’s just when someone breaks the law, stuff like this happens.”

Spadaro says information on companies’ inspections and more can be found on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website.

“This will show your right here that we had 73 inspections last year and we had 100 percent pass," Spadaro said. "If you look, (the company involved in Saturday’s crash) had four out of five fail in the last year.”

He called it a tragic reminder to look before you buy.

“Make sure the driver is not a criminal. Make sure they don’t have a drinking and driving background. Look at the results of the company’s DOT inspections and on-road inspections," Spadaro said. "They should do their homework before they stick their loved ones in there or get in one themselves.”