Pickup Hits Amish Buggy Pulling a Boat Before Dawn — Horse Killed, Five Injured

An Amish buggy – carrying at least five people and towing a boat – was struck from behind this morning, killing the horse and leaving five injured.

This happened in Stark County, Ohio – part of the sprawling Holmes County Amish settlement. Here’s the report from the Canton Repository:

LAWRENCE TWP. ‒ A horse died and five people were injured after a pickup truck hit the back of an Amish buggy in the 3600 block of Manchester Avenue NW early in the morning of May 21.

Police Sgt. Brad Henson said the crash was reported at 5:06 a.m. after the northbound truck hit the buggy, which was also northbound.

He said the occupants of the buggy, including a 2-year-old, were taken to hospitals with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

The adults in the buggy were two men and two women, married couples, between the ages of 23 and 39. The age of one woman was not immediately available.

Why was the buggy towing the boat? Apparently the group were on an early-morning fishing trip. Many Amish enjoy fishing (as we saw in this recent controversial story about an Amishman who caught and kept a large muskie), and many have their own fishing boats.

Henson suggested as much, and the area where it happened was on the way to recreational bodies of water frequently visited by Amish:

Henson said the buggy was carrying a boat, and surmised the occupants may have been on their way to go fishing. He said buggies commonly pass through the area on the way to Turkeyfoot Lake or Nimisilla Reservoir.

It turns out that the buggy was being pulled by two horses, perhaps indicating the group were traveling an extended distance. One of the two horses sadly died due to injuries sustained. The second horse was given to an Amish neighbor who was to arrange to return it.

As you see by the time it was reported – a little after 5 AM – this crash happened in the very early morning hours – about an hour before sunrise in the area. That suggests that visibility issues may have been at play, though the incident remains under investigation.

Locals Comment On Early-Morning Buggy Traffic

Another thing that occurs to me is that this wreck happened in an area of the settlement where more Swartzentruber Amish tend to live. That is the area’s most conservative group of Amish, who use minimal lighting on their buggies (no SMV triangle or electric lighting; minimal reflectors). Ohio has been in the news in recent years due to controversy over a 2022 buggy lighting law.

I don’t know if the buggy belonged to someone from that group, but it’s possible. For what it’s worth, commenters on the North Lawrence Fire Department post on the incident had this to say:

For last week or 2 I see amish buggy going up Manchester road at 430am with no lights on what so ever you dont even see it till you are right on it I said to myself accident waiting to happen

And also:

I’ve witnessed the buggy pulling the boat or boat on the roof almost daily on rt 93. Traffic is usually backed up a quarter mile behind it. There is no reflective signage or light on the back as required.

I have seen vehicles almost strike it from behind after dusk, and in low visibility conditions. Unfortunately I expected this to happen at some point. Sad.

Others on the post are talking about regularly seeing or hearing a buggy go by in this area in the early-morning hours. Of course that doesn’t confirm this is the same buggy, and it could be referring to different families or buggies. But it sounds like there has been a pattern of very early-morning buggy travel in this area, and of buggies not exactly being well-illuminated.

Thankfully it sounds like no one in the buggy has life-threatening injuries, especially considering that one of the occupants is just two years old. It must have been a very frightening experience nonetheless.