ANOTHER Michigan Buggy Wreck: Alleged Drunk Driver Sends 2 Amish To Hospital “Seriously Injured” (UPDATED)
Michigan, what is the deal?
It seems like once or twice a month now we have another story of a serious car-buggy road wreck coming out of the Wolverine State – where Amish, of course, end up on the losing end.
Reports are coming out over the past hour or two, out of Gladwin County, Michigan. Here’s the summary from abc12 News:
GLADWIN COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – Authorities arrested a 22-year-old man from Livonia after a crash with an Amish buggy late Friday night near Gladwin.
The Gladwin County Sheriff’s Office says the Livonia man was driving a 2019 Toyota 4-Runner eastbound on Wirtz Road near Nickless Road when he collided with the buggy around 11:10 p.m.
A 22-year-old Amish woman and a 16-year-old Amish boy on the buggy both sustained serious injuries. They remained hospitalized Monday and their conditions were stable.
The sheriff’s office arrested the Livonia man for operating while intoxicated causing injury. He remained in the Gladwin County Jail on Monday while awaiting arraignment.
The man’s name has not yet been released because he has yet to make a court appearance. Here’s what his vehicle looked like post-crash:
I hope these two young people make a full recovery – and it’s good to see they are listed as “stable” several days later. No word on the horse in this report. Usually it’s not good news in accidents this severe though.
You can find the full report from the Sheriff’s Office here (or see the screenshot below). The Sheriff’s Office has limited who can comment on that post, so I’m not picking up any additional details besides what’s being officially reported at this time.
Amish Victims of Michigan Road Wrecks…The List Keeps Growing
Here’s a brief roundup of just the recent ones:
In May, a devastating wreck left two Amish girls in critical condition – also in Gladwin County.
Two months prior to that, a woman arrested for suspected substance abuse was the driver in a crash which killed an Amish girl and left an Amish boy in critical condition in southwestern Michigan.
Also in March, a 27-year-old Amish man was killed – again in Gladwin County – when he was hit head-on by an SUV passing a school bus.
Last week, a five-year-old Amish boy on a scooter was hit and killed in northern Michigan.
I haven’t done a comprehensive list, but there are more in this partial list – including three separate car-buggy wrecks since 2017 where three children died – each time.
Now, some people are going to point out that buggies aren’t well-lit in some of these places. It is part of the equation – but only part.
Gladwin County does have a Swartzentruber Amish population, who use more limited illumination and reflective material.
But when you’ve got (“allegedly”) intoxicated, speeding, texting, or otherwise reckless drivers involved, I think you need to start there.
Update: Driver’s Identity Revealed
The driver’s identity has been revealed. From ABC12 News:
GLADWIN COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – A Livonia man was arraigned on a drunken driving this week after he allegedly was intoxicated when he crashed into an Amish buggy near Gladwin over the weekend.
Court records show 22-year-old Joseph Medellin is facing a single charge of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury for the crash late Friday on Wirtz Road near Nickless Road.
A 22-year-old Amish woman and 16-year-old Amish boy both were hospitalized with serious injuries after the crash.
Livonia is over two hours away from the Gladwin area. Typically, car-buggy accidents are caused by locals. Doesn’t look like that’s the case here.
No word on why Medellin might have been a good ways from home on July 4th.
Next-door Clare County was hosting the Horse Progress Days festival at the time. That likely means there were more buggies on the roads in general.
However, the location of this crash was over 25 miles away from the Horse Progress Days site, so it’s quite unlikely that had anything to do with it.
Medellin posted $3,000 bond and is out of jail; he is due back in court later this month.
Drinking and driving SHOULD mean permanent removal of drivers license and lengthy jail sentence. Enough is enough. It’s time to take the car/license away from these people.
So sad
As a Michigander I’m appalled at all these accidents here. Many are caused by drunk or buzzed driving. There has also seem to have been an increase in aggressive driving. Slow down and practice driving courtesy! We are all sharing the road!
ANOTHER Buggy Crash
I think I’m going to be sick . . . One thing commenters to this site have to keep in mind: Just because a judge takes away a person’s license to drive doesn’t mean that person won’t drive a motor vehicle in the future. With some people, having (or not having) a license is absolutely meaningless. If they wanna drive, they’re going to drive. And if they want to drink or use drugs, they’ll do that too. No, these drivers need very lengthy jail sentences. Period. Human life means little to these people. It’s almost like a form of mental illness where they’re concerned. I spent many years working (in corrections department) with drunk drivers, etc. and their attitudes toward the well-being and safety of others doesn’t seem to register with them. Sorry to say, but the only thing you can do is lock them up.