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 of five was traveling in the buggy. A woman and a boy were found dead at the scene, while a man and girl were flown to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio and Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, respectively. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

A boy was treated and released from Grove City Medical Center.

Venango County has a single Amish community of 3 church districts. Neighboring counties Crawford and Mercer are heavy with Amish settlements, but this appears to be the only one in the county.

I don’t recall ever hearing much if anything about this community, so I can’t comment conclusively on its origins or affiliation.

But going by the images of an Amish business sign, and the appearance of some Amish people in one news station’s report, it doesn’t appear to be a very plain settlement. So I would confidently guess that this buggy had an SMV triangle at the least.

Images by WTAE

As a car driver, I find logging trucks can be quite intimidating on the road. In logging regions of the country you often encounter them on winding secondary highways.

When fully loaded with lumber these trucks travel with fearsome force. The buggy was hit from behind, perhaps indicating the driver wasn’t able to slow his load in time.

Facts are scarce though, in the available reports. The accident is under investigation. Prayers for this family that the father and daughter recover.

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    11 Comments

    1. Kiki

      Logging truck vs. Buggy

      A buggy, or any other passenger vehicle for that matter, is no match for a logging truck! Why aren’t there proper shoulders along roads where slow moving vehicles are known to travel? Where I live in southern Oregon (Klamath Co.), not only are shoulders nearly non-existent but so are guardrails. Why is it that counties are so negligent in this area of public safety? Shoulders wide enough to accommodate slow vehicles, including bicycles, horses, buggies, or just people who like to walk, are a necessary part of transportation safety. They should be required, especially in more rural areas. There’s just no excuse for these fatalities!

      1. I believe the biggest reason is that it’s a huge expense, and with Amish moving so often to new areas, it’s often not until a large enough population is present that those kinds of things become feasible. In some cases there’s probably also a ton of red tape to go through to acquire the land needed to expand the roads to a suitable width. And in some instances geography or the presence of buildings simply won’t allow widening the roads to a suitable degree.

    2. Geo

      Responsibility

      As a once-upon-a-time truck driver, I’ll testify meeting any big truck approaching on a narrow two lane is tense. On the other hand coming up behind a slow moving vehicle going the same direction on any road is tense. I can’t recall ever coming up behind a farm implement or buggy that was not a close call. By the time a slow moving vehicle is noticed, it usually, already, requires fast reaction to avoid rear-ending it. The goofy idea that a little triangle makes a slow moving vehicle more visible is so irrational it’s insulting. Long before a triangle is noticeable, an implement or buggy is visible and anyone who doesn’t know they are slow should not be driving. Motor vehicles colliding with Farm implements led to unrealistic and ineffective triangle requirements which are laughable efforts by lawmakers to enact a remedy. The speed difference between an implement or buggy and a motor vehicle is so great the implement or buggy is effectively standing still. That being so, lawmakers need to step up and require operators of slow moving vehicles to be responsible to be seen on public roads. Strobes could prevent many collisons like this one and the fact they are not legally required is shameful.

      1. I do empathize with truck drivers in this situation, and the one in this case in particular. Passing a buggy in a 50+ foot vehicle must be a whole world harder than doing so in a zippy sedan or pick-up truck. And in cases where you can safely pass in a regular vehicle, it can be impossible to do so in a tractor trailer-size machine or log truck.

    3. Patricia Gessner

      I can't even imagine....

      God bless them all….those that are with the Lord and those left behind. Praying for all of them.

    4. Maggie Conlon

      I can't even imagine

      My prayers for this entire Family. Such sad news. I will pray for the Dad and children that made it, and also for the Mother & son. God help them all. Amen.

    5. Tim Sheldrick

      I am a commercial truck driver in Vermont…no amish but a lot of bicycles ans walkers….very very tense meeting these people

    6. Tim Sheldrick

      my wife and I are frequent visitors to the amish in ohio and Pennsylvania also upstate new York..our deepest condolences to the families

    7. Elizabeth Schaefer

      Heartbreaking. Praying for all involved. My husband is a truck driver. He would be devastated if anyone was injured or killed while he was driving. Can you keep us updated on the condition of the father and daughter? Is there any way we can send a note or card to the hospitals and the driver? Thank you so much.

    8. Alex Knisely

      Origins of Clintonville settlements

      The folks I know there have freundschaft in New Wilmington and Mercer / Fredonia.

      1. Interesting to hear, maybe that means they are on the plainer side.