Police: Woman Intentionally Rammed Amish Buggy With SUV
Well, this is something. From Valley News Live:
CLEARWATER COUNTY, Minn. (Valley News Live) – A Bagley woman has been charged with assault and reckless driving after an incident Friday in Clearwater County.
Court documents state Jamie Harmon intentionally rammed into another vehicle, an Amish buggy, with her motor vehicle while the other vehicle was occupied.
Harmon apparently managed to flip her SUV in the process:
It happened at 1:42 AM on May 30th at the intersection of 189th Avenue and Clearwater Lake Road. A 911 caller stated that a motor vehicle struck an Amish buggy.
Law enforcement arrived on scene and observed a buggy facing east in the ditch. An overturned 2016 Chevy Equinox was observed a short distance away with the lights still on. Both vehicles had no occupants.
Someone “fed up” with Amish buggies on the road?
There are people out there – and believe me, a lot more than a handful of them – who harbor strong dislike, or even hate, for the Amish as a group.
I guess we could say “bigoted” against the Amish, though I don’t see that term used as much as I once did.
Or, you might suppose this was just another instance of road rage, and the Amish buggy happened to be the unfortunate target. Though, she still doesn’t come out looking too good even in that interpretation.
However, reading on, there is something more to the story. More on that in a minute.
Here’s what the Amish guy driving the buggy had to say:
The documents state that as law enforcement was on scene, a man arrived with a friend and stated that he was the driver of the buggy. He stated he was traveling home when the driver of the Equinox, who was driving through ditches, yelled at him and deliberately crashed into his buggy.
Thankfully, apparently no person was injured (I don’t know about the horse, it’s not mentioned). Evidence suggests she was under the influence:
Law enforcement’s observations of the scene supported the man’s statements that the driver of the Equinox had deliberately turned and struck the buggy with the Equinox.
According to the documents, a search of the vehicle revealed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage within the vehicle. Law enforcement located an empty can of Truly Hard Seltzer alcoholic beverage in the vehicle. Law enforcement also located some personal items, including a black Samsung phone.
So I teased above that there is more to the story. Well, I don’t know to what degree this might “excuse” things, but sounds like there is a mental health issue involved here:
The court documents state Harmon was diagnosed with schizophrenia last summer after being brought to the emergency room by law enforcement. Law enforcement was told that the defendant has not continued to take her medications.
Law enforcement was told that she was expressing beliefs that eagles are shape shifters hunting her, that people aren’t who they say they are because of spirits jumping between bodies, that she is an apprentice to the devil, and that her stepfather is the devil.
That last bit does not suggest a person with a firm hold on reality. Harmon is on probation for a recent DWI conviction (2024).
There is also this bit, which throws a bit of a wrench into the assumption above:
According to the documents, Harmon denied the crash and denied experiencing any of these mental health symptoms. Hospital staff deemed that it was not appropriate to place Harmon on a mental health hold.
That she denied mental heath symptoms is one thing, but the hospital not placing her on mental health hold is puzzling, given the history.
Some people just hate the Amish…this was, maybe, not that
We’ve seen cases of people doing violence against the Amish in different ways – throwing objects at buggies and Amish homes, shooting Amish horses, firing guns at Amish homes and a school – and even shooting Amish girls with BB guns.
And this isn’t even the first time this sort of thing has happened. In 2012, a drunk man purposely rammed an Amish horse-and-buggy, killing the horse instantly. According to the teens in the buggy, the driver accelerated and swerved into the horse in that instance.
It’s all just disgusting and I can feel my blood pressure rising right now just compiling this bit of the post.
Sadly, some people just hate the Amish. That may be true in this case as well, but it also sounds like a woman who needs help…at the least to stay on her medication.
ok. She should never be allowed to drive a car. She should be done.
A DUI conviction last year and now intentionally hitting this wagon with her car. She used her car as a weapon AND possibly another DUI. Yeah. Her drivers license should be gone for good. She’s done.
Totally agree, her license should permanently be revoked. But would that really stop her from driving? There’s not an easy answer regarding this problem individual. Not in today’s society, anyway.
Rammed Buggy
I also agree wholeheartedly! If Jamie Harmon is indeed schizophrenic she should NOT be driving a motor vehicle and after this spectacular display of gross irresponsibility maybe a stay in a mental hospital would do her a world of good. She should be made to pay for any damages incurred.
Take her license away forever
First of all I agree with J.O.B, that woman shouldn’t ever have access to another drivers license for any use of a moving vehicle. Anyone that feels it’s okay to take a motor vehicle and use it as a weapon by what could have caused possible physical injuries or worse is in dire need of help. Except she needs to be monitored to all of her behaviors till they figure out how to treat this woman and make sure she follows the plan to a tee. I lived in an Amish community (Vermontville, Michigan) and I see things like this almost daily. Why can’t more be done to stop such reckless actions of those inconsiderate people that don’t care about others life. So I completely agree she doesn’t need a license, or any kind of vehicle that she possibly could cause anyone else harm ever again. I’m sorry to hear this Amish person had to go thru such an emotional situation.
How horrible
My gosh! This is so awful. There needs to be greater deterrents and much stricter punishments for this deliberate type of act. This stuff drives me crazy. The Amish don’t bother anyone. They just want to be left alone to live their lives the way they feel God wants them to live. No one should be trying to harm anyone, let alone these peaceful people.
Yes, it’s infuriating, and terribly sad for a peaceful group of people who just want to live their lives. How is this person still driving? Her license should be revoked.
hate crimes
When we fail to recognize the other as a human being, hate crimes appear! For some, not doing or thinking the same is a crime, and we have learned little about it since WWII.
Bigotry indeed
I’ve met a few folks who are very bigoted toward Amish and I’ve intervened at a store when a early 20’s kid made rude comments to an Amish shopper. I think he thought he could intimidate “the old lady” also. (He thought wrong)
So many of these same folks claim they are not “racist” (which, in my book is a stupid term…after all, there is only ONE race), yet they behave like this to Amish? Sorry folks…but if you are TRULY accepting of others regardless of color, ethnicity, etc…than that includes religion also…otherwise you ARE a BIGOT (aka prejudice, racist, etc).