One Amish Woman Still In Intensive Care, Another Lost Her Baby After Deadly Buggy Crash — Now Neighbors Want Changes

A month after a pickup truck struck an Amish buggy outside Canton, New York, killing a grandmother and her young grandson, one woman from the buggy is still in intensive care, and tragically, there has been a third fatal victim – a pregnant woman has lost her baby.

The information on these women comes from a neighbor, who spoke to St. Lawrence County lawmakers at a recent board meeting, according to a WWNY report.

Residents along County Route 25, where the crash happened, are now asking the county to make the road safer.

The crash happened on the afternoon of September 13, when a pickup struck a single buggy carrying 10 members of an Amish family. Two people died: 78-year-old Margaret Wagler and a 4-year-old boy who, according to neighbors, was visiting from Michigan (though some reports listed him as living locally).

The other eight were taken to hospitals. Neighbors subsequently launched a fundraiser, where over $13,000 has been raised for the families of brothers Daniel and Henry Wagler.

Neighbors Ask County For Changes: “Not A Question Of If”

Residents who live along the road spoke at the county board meeting. They say the road is busy with Amish families hauling milk and children going to school, and that the Amish population in the area is growing.

They pointed out that pulling off the road onto the shoulder isn’t realistic right now because of the steep drop-off when leaving the pavement and hitting gravel.

Residents are hoping, too, for the speed limit to be lowered, especially in front of the nearby school.

The county itself is home to thousands of Amish people, though they are spread about in half a dozen communities. But as they grow, buggy traffic increases and so does the risk of accidents.

 

A woman named Ellie Recinos, who lives next to where the crash occurred, spoke with WWNY:

“This is not like Route 11, right? This is a road that goes into the southern Adirondacks. It is very hilly, it is very curvy, there’s a ton of blind corners,” Recinos said.

Another Canton resident, Katrina Hebb, told the meeting: “It’s not a question of if. It’s a question of when the next fatal Amish buggy accident happens.”

Sadly she is probably right, as we see accidents happen repeatedly in some of these communities. Hazardous road conditions – which is what it sounds like based on the above description – only up the potential danger.

The county has already made some changes, according to the report:

Neighbors said since going to the board meeting last Monday, the county has added more gravel to parts of County Route 25.

The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office has also set up two speed radar signs along the road, near where the crash occurred.

The additional gravel presumably reduces or removes the drop-off when a buggy would move from the blacktop to the shoulder. The speed radars indicate to drivers their oncoming speed and whether it is above the posted speed limit.

Sheriff Rick Engle also spoke at the meeting, and it sounds like residents’ concerns are being heard:

“We’ll get some data together. We’ll find out target times, and we’ll find out an average speed, and I’ll share this information if you want it,” Engle said. “Public safety is my responsibility, and that’s something we’re going to take a closer look at.”

The St. Lawrence County traffic safety office noted a rise in buggy crashes last December, and this is not the first serious crash in the town of Canton. In July 2025, a driver struck a buggy on County Route 14 and left the scene, seriously injuring 2 people.