Buggy Accidents

Orange Buggy Flags?

Orange Buggy Flags?

I just found this unusual photo while checking out Amish homes for sale online. I have often seen similar flags attached to pony carts and other smaller vehicles used by Amish. Those are pretty common in larger communities like Holmes County (and a good idea there, considering the area’s hilly terrain). But I’ve never seen them on full-sized buggies – or at least not as…

Buggy Struck From Behind In Smyrna, Maine; One Killed

Buggy Struck From Behind In Smyrna, Maine; One Killed

This happened Wednesday in the Smyrna, Maine community. Two young men were ejected from the buggy. One was killed; the second has critical injuries. “The crash is still under investigation, but it appears that speed was a factor,” said Aroostook County Sheriff Shawn Gillen. From the Bangor Daily News: NEW LIMERICK, Maine — A 25-year-old Smyrna man was killed Wednesday evening when a vehicle struck…

Driver Hits Buggy While Sending Email On Phone, Kills Horse

Driver Hits Buggy While Sending Email On Phone, Kills Horse

Luckily, it was just the horse this time. This happened in Tuscola County, in Michigan’s “thumb”. From mlive.com: CARO, MI — A driver distracted by his cellphone caused a motor vehicle-buggy collision, leaving a horse dead and a woman hospitalized, police said. About 11 a.m. on Friday, May 15, Tuscola County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the crash site on M-81 near Crawford Road in Elkland…

4 Children Dead, 1 Missing After Buggy Overturns In Creek

4 Children Dead, 1 Missing After Buggy Overturns In Creek

A tragic story out of Kentucky yesterday: BATH COUNTY, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in Kentucky say four children died, and one is missing, after a horse and buggy carrying an Amish family was swept away while trying to cross a low-water bridge over a flooded creek. Kentucky State Police say all six people were swept away when the buggy overturned in the muddy brown water…

Be Careful Around Buggies If Your Vehicle Is Loud

Be Careful Around Buggies If Your Vehicle Is Loud

There is a certain type of driver who likes gunning his engine and waking up the residents of the local graveyard when passing through town. That driver is unlikely to heed the warning of this post. But others who drive vehicles louder than a typical car would do well to keep the lesson drawn here in mind when around buggies. A week after the logging…

PA Amish Woman, Child Killed In Logging Truck Accident

Sad news from northwestern PA: CLINTONVILLE, Pa. — One adult and one juvenile were killed after a logging truck and an Amish buggy crashed in Clintonville, Venango County, on Sunday afternoon, the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed. According to PSP, the logging truck struck the horse-drawn buggy from behind while both were traveling eastbound in the area of 2414 Clintonville Road around 3:50 p.m. A family…

One Swartzentruber Community’s (Unique?) Buggy Visibility Improvement

One Swartzentruber Community’s (Unique?) Buggy Visibility Improvement

Car drivers complain about the lack of visibility of Amish buggies, particularly those of the plainest (Swartzentruber) churches. This group of Amish is highly resistant to change. But do Swartzentruber Amish never bend when it comes to making changes to their buggies? We’ve now seen more than one example showing that, in fact, they do. While visiting the North Carolina Swartzentruber settlement two weeks ago,…

Someone Is Stealing Amish Buggy Signs (Delta County, Michigan)

Someone Is Stealing Amish Buggy Signs (Delta County, Michigan)

Someone is swiping Amish buggy warning signs in Delta County, Michigan. After the latest round of thefts, the total of stolen signs is now four. And this is not just the sign the thief is taking – whoever is doing it, is actually uprooting the post as well – from three feet of concrete. Buggy sign in Delta County, MI. Photo by Clarissa Kell/Escanaba Daily…

Amishman Suffers Broken Neck After Car Crests Hill, Hits Buggy

Amishman Suffers Broken Neck After Car Crests Hill, Hits Buggy

I’m pointing this accident out as an example of a buggy road danger which I think is under-covered. Speed and lighting get a lot of attention, but hills are another big threat to Amish buggies. An Amishman is recovering with a broken neck in northern New York following an accident involving a hill. By the looks of this photo of his demolished, upside-down carriage, he’s…

3 More Amish Children Killed In Michigan Buggy Crash

3 More Amish Children Killed In Michigan Buggy Crash

It was just three months ago that three young Amish siblings were killed in a buggy crash in southern Michigan. Tragically, the story has repeated itself, in another part of the state. This time, it seems alcohol was not involved. The driver struck the children’s buggy as they returned home from school. From Lansing State Journal: In Wednesday’s crash, the four Amish siblings were in…