(Alleged) Speeding, Intoxicated Driver Hits Buggy, Leaves 6 Amish Injured – Most Of Them Badly Hurt (Michigan Again)
Another week passes, and right on schedule, Michigan shows up in the news with another bad Amish buggy crash.
It’s apparently another intoxicated driver doing their thing, with the result being six injured Amish people (most of them badly injured), with one needing immediate lifesaving measures. From WZZM:
VAN BUREN COUNTY, Michigan — Six people are injured after an SUV crashed into an Amish buggy on Friday evening, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office (VBCSO) said.
Around 7:45 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the 45000 block of County Road (CR) 388 for a report that an SUV had crashed into an Amish buggy.
When deputies arrived, they found five of the six occupants of the buggy with obvious injuries.
Deputies began life-saving measures on the person with the most serious injuries, and multiple ambulances arrived at the scene to begin treating and transporting those with injuries.
All six people were taken to area hospitals, four of which had serious injuries. One person had critical injuries.
At least the driver (as of now unnamed) didn’t flee the scene, which has been a popular strategy for some of these people:
The driver of the SUV stayed at the scene and was cooperative with deputies during the investigation.
The initial investigation showed the buggy was westbound on CR 388 when it was hit from behind by the SUV.
Deputies said it appeared that speed and alcohol were both factors in the crash.
There are two Amish communities in Van Buren County, totaling around 300 Amish residents. This one apparently happened in the smaller of the two, near Bloomingdale.
Here’s the report from the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office:
Michigan’s Very Bad Record
Just to review, here’s what we’ve had in the past month or so for The Wolverine State:
- July 1: Five-Year-Old Amish Boy Killed While Riding Scooter (Emmet County)
- July 4: Alleged Drunk Driver Sends 2 Amish To Hospital “Seriously Injured” (Gladwin County)
- July 16: Truck Hits Buggy, Two Amish Children in “Serious Condition” (Isabella County)
- August 1: Amish Woman Killed When SUV Rear-Ends Buggy (Gladwin County)
- August 8: Six Amish Injured By Alleged DUI Driver (Van Buren County)
That leaves out minor accidents and ones that went unreported.
Prior to the past month, two Amish girls were left in critical condition following a crash in Gladwin County (May), a driver suspected of substance use killed an Amish girl and left an Amish boy in critical condition in Van Buren County (March), while an Amish man was killed in a collision with an SUV in Gladwin County (March).
In prior years, Michigan has seen three separate buggy crashes which have claimed three children’s lives in each crash.
The state keeps racking up Amish deaths and injuries. Several Michigan counties are making commendable attempts to improve safety for Amish buggies, but I wonder how much they will be able to achieve.
Another Amish Buggy Crash
Seems to me the punishment for causing motor vehicle/Amish buggy accidents in the state of Michigan simply aren’t severe enough. Can’t help but wonder what these so-called “commendable attempts” to improve safety include . . . ?? Thanks for allowing me to have my say.
ITS LONGOVERDUE, START SENDIN THESE DRUNKEN DRIVERS TO PRISON, WHOM ARE CONSISTANTLY HURTING AND KILLING THE AMISH FOLKS AND CHILDREN. It’s commendable counties are addressing the safety issues, however. Our elected prosecutors and judges need to be taking a much harsher stance in the prosecution and sentences given, (no more plea bargaining to lesser charges, sentences), we must commence showing these people’s (amish) lives do matter, not to mention they suffer thousands of dollars in property lose, buggies, horses, due to these idiot drunk drivers. This really sickens my heart.
Michigan accidents
Do you think one of the problems in Michigan is the lack of buggy lanes? Some areas of Michigan do not even have a shoulder. On those roads the buggy is almost certainly totally on the roadway vs partway. We’ve noticed that Indiana and Ohio are better at accommodating Amish buggies. They even blacktop a wide shoulder. In Shipshewana they added a buggy lane down Main Street. Michigan should do the same.
Identify community.
Dear Erik,
Could you identify the community of the horse and buggy pictured in the photograph by Jim Halverson at the head of this article?
I notice that there is no slow moving sign nor reflective tape on this buggy. Is it perhaps a community traced to the Swiss Amish?
Thank you in advance for all your varied reporting.
Sincerely,
Larry Clarence Lewis
London, Ontario, Canada.