Five-Year-Old Amish Boy Killed While Riding Scooter
A tragic accident happened several days ago in Emmet County, Michigan. A five-year-old Amish boy lost his life on the road. Here’s what happened, via the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office:
On July 1, 2025, at approximately 2009 hours, Emmet County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a fatal traffic accident on Sand Road in Maple River Township.
The driver involved is a 50-year-old male from Maple River Township. Tragically, the accident resulted in the death of a 5-year-old male also from Maple River Township. To respect privacy and ongoing investigations, the names of both the driver and the deceased will not be released at this time. A preliminary investigation suggests that speed, alcohol, and drugs were not contributing factors in the crash.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is encouraged to contact the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office at (231) 439-8900.
It’s not been made public in any news reports I’ve seen, but I’ve been told this was a boy on a scooter.
In addition to pony carts, as in the recent tragic accident in Indiana, drivers really need to be aware of little ones out on scooters (and bicycles in some communities), as well as foot traffic.
Below is the Sheriff’s Office’s statement in full, also accessible at the link above. Just to emphasize a point, they do not believe that speed, alcohol, or drugs factored in to this incident. It sounds like there is an ongoing investigation.
Emmet County is about as far north as you can go in Michigan before getting into the Upper Peninsula. There is a small Amish community in the county, in the area of Brutus.
This accident was not immediately noted to involve an Amish child, which is why it didn’t come to my attention until Wendy Babcock, who knows the family, reached out (thank you, Wendy).
Another local person comments on the press release:
This happened right in front of my house where I have 3 small children of the same age. It was horrific and I feel terrible for the family. I can’t imagine how the family feels. Me and my wife are traumatized.
I include that here, because to some very small degree that brings home the awfulness of these accidents.
Lacking motor vehicles, Amish people are going to be on the roads, including children. There is no information on whether this child was alone or part of a group, which may have been the case.
Either way, the fact is that young Amish children are on the roadside sometimes. Often it’s going to and from school, though that was obviously not the case here.
The boy’s funeral was yesterday. Prayers and condolences to the family at this difficult time.
It’s off topic, but I just saw something in a video about the Amish, which really surprised me: an Amish woman riding on a horse to an Amish gathering, see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEj5oZM4WGE at minute 52:03.
I thought Amish are riding horses quite rarely, and if so, it’s mostly done by young men around their farms and never done by women.
How unusual is it that an Amish women is riding on a horse to an Amish gathering?
Females riding horses
Dan, I have a friend in Curryville, MO whose 16 year old daughter got a wild mustang horse from KY about 3 years ago, She has trained it for riding but still working on buggy driving. I have Amish seen men quite a few times riding in that area. As a matter of fact, one Amish man has the nickname :horse whisperer”! I guess it depends which community you belong to and what the Bishop allows.
Tragic
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Amish family missing their little one. I cannot understand why folks cannot be more aware of their surroundings when driving! This could have been anyone’s child – Amish or English!
Tragic for everyone involved
I know the roads in that area very well. I also know the driver. There can be heavy brush, tall weeds, and hidden driveways where a child can suddenly roll or run into the roadway and not be seen until it is too late. Unless it happens to you, you just don’t know how fast that can happen no matter how carefully you drive. It is a tragic thing that doesn’t necessarily need to have a villain in the story.
Sending prayers to the family and community of the child and the driver. Such a tragic accident.