11-Year-Old Amish Boy Killed While Riding Scooter Near His Home
An 11-year-old Amish boy was killed while riding his scooter on New Year’s Eve in Lancaster County, PA, according to reports coming out over the past two days. More:
Christopher Wayne Beiler, 11, of Narvon, died on Wednesday, Dec. 31, after he was struck by a motor vehicle while riding his scooter near his residence in Salisbury Township, according to Shivery Funeral Home in Christiana.
The crash happened near the family’s home on Churchtown Road, where Christopher was transported by ambulance to Reading Hospital, officials said. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m., according to the Berks County Coroner’s Office.
An autopsy conducted on Friday, Jan. 2, determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma. The manner of death remains pending as the accident investigation continues, the coroner said.
WGAL adds the details that the vehicle involved was a Dodge Caravan, and that it “had to be towed from the scene.” Christopher Beiler was taken to hospital in Reading, where he passed away.
There aren’t many more details that I’m seeing and not much more on the circumstances of what happened. We do learn that the Pennsylvania State Police are, or have been, investigating what happened.
This report seems to just really be getting out now even though it’s over a week later. The boy’s funeral took place last week. What a tragic way to go into the New Year for this family.
This is at least the second fatal road incident involving Amish people in Lancaster County in the past two weeks. Last week a 65-year-old Amish woman was killed when her buggy was struck in a DUI-related incident in the county.
Watch Out for Amish on Two-Wheeled Vehicles
Amish children are frequently out on scooters, and/or bicycles depending on the community (Amish adults are as well, for that matter).
Last summer, a five-year-old Amish boy was struck and killed while riding his scooter in his Michigan community. A 10-year-old Amish boy lost his life while bicycling, also in Michigan, as did an Amish man last summer in Indiana.
Incidents involving Amish buggies tend to get more attention, as I’d hazard to say they happen more often and with more dramatic consequences.
But it’s important to be aware of Amish people using these two-wheeled forms of transport as well. That is exacerbated in some communities where high-speed “e” versions of the bicycle and scooter are used, such as Holmes County, Ohio (e-bikes).
E-scooters are seen in Lancaster County, but there is no indication that the boy in this incident was using one, and I’d suspect not.
So just keep in mind that a lot of Amish people use scooters and bicycles, and especially in places with hills and curves, they are going to be less visible. That also goes for Amish foot traffic (also quite common), while we’re on the topic.
Prayers
This breaks my heart. My Amish neighbor kids ride past my house on their scooters on their way to school. There is no shoulder on my road, and the speed is 60 MPH. We really can’t be too careful or watchful when driving through Amish country. Prayers for the Bieler family and the vehicle driver.
The Amish set an incredible example of forgiveness – “The person who forgives does more for himself than anyone else.” Amish Proverb.
Amish Safety
I think heavily populated Amish communities should have no vehicles allowed on the roadways. Give them an area where they can be free of worry about becoming another statistic.