Man, Woman & Child Life-Flighted Following Buggy Wreck; Horse Put Down. Driver Cited for “Following Too Closely” (New York)
Yates County, New York saw a bad buggy wreck yesterday afternoon, leaving three seriously injured and a horse dead. But these (in all likelihood) weren’t Amish victims.
Yates County is home to an Old Order Mennonite population. Old Order Mennonites typically use horse-drawn vehicles similar to those of the Amish.
It’s a reminder that not only the Amish are exposed to horse-drawn accident danger on the roads. More details from WHAM ABC News:
Barrington, N.Y. — Three people were seriously injured, and a horse had to be euthanized after a horse and buggy crash in Yates County on Sunday afternoon.
Yates County Sheriff deputies responded to Six Corners Road in Barrington just before 2:35 p.m. for a crash involving a car and a horse and buggy.
An investigation found that a woman was traveling in the southbound lane of Six Corners Road when her car struck the buggy from behind, ejecting its occupants and causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
The victims weren’t named, nor are they described as Mennonite in the article, but there are no listed Amish settlements for that county.
At the same time, the county does have a long history of Mennonite settlement, having seen settlers from Lancaster County arrive in the region in the mid-1970s.
The three people in the buggy had to be transported by helicopter to a hospital in Rochester. That does not sound good. Prayers will no doubt be appreciated.
The driver was cited for “following too closely”; neither she nor her young passenger were injured. As is common in these cases, the crash is still under investigation.
I was in Yates County and all around the Finger Lakes just over a week ago. Beautiful area and many Old Order mennonites, although they use the term horse and buggy Mennonites there more often. Had to take a long detour around a construction site and passed an old order Mennonite school right beside the road. Children playing games outside led by their teacher. There are very few shoulders on the rural roads in that area. Lots of signs, though, with buggy warnings.
I Love Amish people
I have a good experience with Amish people we used to weekly to get our eggs and chicken from their farm at MICHIGAN
Erik is this true? A friend just returned from Lancaster, PA. She took a guided tour with an Amish guide. My friend noted vehicles parked near the Amish farms and asked the guide about them. The guide informed her that many of the Amish and Mennonite purchase vehicles and park them near their home. Then when they need transportation they just hire a driver who will drive their car. This didn’t sound right to me. Why would an Amish person pay car insurance rates on a vehicle parked, just waiting to be used?
Decades ago I went on one of those Amish tourist trap horse and buggy rides in Lancaster. When we paid the driver (who was dressed Amish) I saw his PA drivers license. Plus, during our ride his daughter waved as she drove a truck past her father driving the tour buggy. Later we crossed paths again (at the tourist center) and she told me “Did we say we’re Amish? We’re River Brethern.” Although she and her father were dressed Amish. I’m never sure in those tourist areas that the information about the Amish is correct. Or that the people giving the information are even really Amish. What do you think?