A soon-to-be bride and her friends were out for a night on the town when disaster struck. According to CNN, the girls rented a white Lincoln limousine to take them to a Crowne Plaza hotel for the bride's bachelorette party. There were nine passengers in the limousine cabin. All were nurses at the same hospital where the bride worked.

The women had the music pumping and were enjoying their time when they caught the smell of smoke in the back of the car. One of the women knocked on the partition between the driver's cab and the back of the limousine and notified the driver about the issue. He answered over the music that they would be at the location in four minutes, and that the limousine company didn't allow smoking in the limo.

In a later interview, the driver admits that he thought the women wanted to smoke in the car, and were asking permission to do so. It wasn't until 30 seconds later he realized something was seriously wrong when the woman banged on the partition again, this time frantically. She screamed that she saw smoke in the back of the car. The driver promptly pulled over on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge and jumped out. He described the scene as horrific as the screaming women panicked to get out of the limousine, which was engulfed in flames. One woman escaped the fire by climbing through the partition into the front of the car. Three others made it out of the passenger side door.

Unfortunately five of the girls in the car did not survive. The flames totally engulfed the car in a matter of seconds, trapping the women inside. Among the women killed was the 31-year-old bride-to-be whom they were celebrating. The driver says he was shocked by the incident. He escaped unharmed, but the four survivors were taken to local hospitals for burn wounds and smoke inhalation. The five women still inside the vehicle were near the partition, where they tried to escape before they were overtaken in the flames.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the limousine was listed as an eight-passenger vehicle. This means that LimoStop Inc. was in violation of the California Public Utility Commission because they had more than eight people in the back of the car at the time of the accident. LimoStop Inc. has already released a statement saying that they will do everything possible to investigate and assist authorities in determining the cause of the fire.

Officers say photos of the incident show that the fire started towards the rear of the car, possibly in the trunk. LimoStop wants to bring closure for all victims and their families. The medical examiners say that they may need up to two days to positively identify the remains. This terrible incident is a reminder that limousine rides can be dangerous. Limousine companies must adhere to guidelines set by the government, including making sure that they do not exceed capacity. Also, limousine companies should inspect their vehicles regularly to make sure the cars are in good working condition.

If you have been injured in a limousine accident, then you have the right to seek compensation. As well, if your loved one was harmed or killed in an accident, then you can hire a car accident lawyer to assist you in seeking wrongful death compensation. You can hold a limousine driver accountable if he or the company did not do all in their power to secure a safe and reliable ride.