70-Year-Old Amish Man in Hospital After Buggy Wreck; Sun Glare Likely A Factor in Crash (Michigan)

Gladwin County, Michigan was the scene of another buggy accident yesterday. An older Amish man was sent to the hospital after his buggy was hit. Fortunately his injuries are described as “non-life-threatening”. More from Mid Michigan Now:

GLADWIN COUNTY, Mich.— On September 24th around 7:15 p.m. the Gladwin County Sheriff’s Office were called to investigate a personal injury accident involving a pickup truck and an Amish buggy near the intersection of Wagervile Road and North Hockaday Road.

The driver of the Amish buggy was sent to the hospital for non-life-threating injuries and the driver of the pickup truck was uninjured.

Deputies with the Sheriff’s office say the driver of the buggy was a 70-year-old male and the driver of the 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 was 64-year-old male from Bay City.

The buggy was struck from behind by the driver of the pickup truck.

Alcohol or drug use “was not identified as a contributing factor” in what happened.  However, they are saying sun glare likely contributed to the crash.

The sun currently sets in Gladwin County at about 7:30 PM. So if the accident happened shortly before the call to the Sheriff came in at 7:15, then you can see how sun glare indeed may have played a role.

This is just the latest in a spate of serious buggy-car crashes in Gladwin County since the spring. In May, two Amish girls were left in critical condition after their buggy was hit in the evening.

In July, a young Amish woman and teenage boy sustained serious injuries thanks to a driver that was charged with driving while intoxicated.

In August, an Amish woman was killed after her buggy was rear-ended in the middle of the afternoon.

Also in August, a semi truck hit a buggy towing another buggy and injuring a 61-year-old Amish woman.

So this would be at least the fifth serious car-buggy accident since May in Gladwin County. The county is home to two separate Amish groups and a total Amish population of over 1,700 people.

Sun Glare Can Kill

The sunset and sunrise hours present a danger as the sun is low in the sky. This factor doesn’t get talked about as much as speed, impaired and distracted driving, and nighttime visibility, but it is a real danger.

In fact, sun glare was also implicated in one of the worst buggy accidents in the state’s history. In 2019, three Amish children lost their lives when the buggy they were traveling in on the way home from school was struck from behind.

“Shade trees were over the road, but I was also facing the sun,” the driver in that accident said. “I just didn’t see the buggy until I was on top of it.”

That poor man had to live with what happened. Fortunately this latest accident seems to have spared the Amish man’s life.

This story is a reminder to be aware of the danger of glare – use sunglasses when it’s a factor – and to be additionally vigilant especially at times of day when glare is present.