Amish Buggy “Obliterated” On Town’s Hill Notorious For Accidents (Michigan)

So another buggy wreck happened in Clare County, Michigan – but this one is a bit different from others, as it happened in the town of Clare.

And it happened at a spot apparently notorious for accidents – a place in town called “Hamburger Hill”. The crash happened September 27, so it’s been a few days, but reporting just came out on it now.

And unlike a lot of these reports, the report by Christopher Johnson from Wilcox Newspapers has quite a layer of detail to it:

Clare’s Hamburger Hill at the north end of town has always been a hotbed for car accidents. As vehicles accelerate toward the expressway ramp and exit driveways, it only takes one absent minded driver to ruin somebody’s day, which was this past Saturday at roughly 11:15 AM.

A driver and passenger in a red Kia sped dangerously southbound as the lunchtime rush was beginning to build. Just outside the Shell station and newly opened Jimmy Johns, the Kia crased into an Amish buggy being driven by a father and his son.

The wagon was obliterated, throwing the two from it and onto the concrete, while separating the horse in the process. The Kia’s front end was badly crippled, with a smashed windshield and a body as mangled as the struck wagon.

The parties were discovered by first responders swiftly, drawing many concerned onlookers to the sidelines. Some who knew the driver of the buggy personally.

The Amish victims had been lying near the wreckage, both responsive and alert, while badly hurt and immobile. Parties were taken to both Clare and Midland hospitals for further evaluation and have since been expected to recover.

He also reports on what happened to the horse:

At the time of the collision, the horse became loose. According to eyewitnesses, it took about 15 minutes to soothe and recover the frightened animal.

After running loose in the parking lot of Family Farm and Home, the horse was coaxed into a trailer, that arrived as the road was being canvassed with emergency vehicles.

Aside from panic and emotional trauma, the horse was otherwise fine with minimal injury.

Johnson also reports on the response from locals online. He notes that “much of the community agrees traffic is simply moving way too fast on the hilltop” and there is discussion on what to propose to city officials to address this.

It sounds like this is a known trouble spot which would be worth addressing somehow. A follow up post raises the idea of a traffic circle.

If it’s accurate that this is a “hotbed for car accidents” – and it appears a lot of the local commenters in Johnson’s social media posts would attest to that too – it seems the town would be wise to do what they can to make this spot safer before lives are lost.