SUV Driver Distracted by Sunglasses Hits Amish Buggy in Ohio; Man Killed, 10-Year-Old Airlifted

A rear-end crash involving an SUV and a buggy carrying three people in Logan County, Ohio has left one Amish man dead, and two others (likely his sons) hospitalized with critical injuries. From the report at Peak of Ohio:

A Saturday morning crash involving an SUV and an Amish buggy has left one man dead and two others critically injured.

According to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the scene around 8:06 a.m. after a 911 report of an injury accident on State Route 235 near the intersection of County Road 13.

Investigators say a southbound SUV struck the rear of a horse-drawn buggy traveling in the same direction near the edge of the roadway.

The impact destroyed the buggy and ejected all three occupants.

When deputies arrived, they found a dark gray 2022 Honda Pilot and the buggy off the west side of the road.

The horse pulling the buggy was found deceased in the roadway.

The victims all have the same surname, suggesting they are family:

Three people were riding in the buggy: Daniel Wagler Sr., 48; Daniel Wagler Jr., 21; and Enos Wagler, 10, all of DeGraff.

All three were transported with serious injuries.

Daniel Wagler Sr. later died of his injuries. Another report states that Daniel Wagler Jr. was the one operating the vehicle. Just going by the names, it’s probably safe to assume this is father and son.

The young boy, likely also a son, was flown to Dayton Children’s Hospital. Prayers for these folks, and hope the two in hospital will have a full recovery.

Questions About The Crash

The driver stated she was driving at about 55 miles per hour at the time of the crash. That is limited information leaving a number of details out. Did the impact occur at 55 mph? Was she able to brake? Was she passing, and the buggy somehow moved into her lane? Was there oncoming traffic?

The report says the buggy was traveling “near the edge of the roadway”. That wording suggests it wasn’t in the roadway.

I had a look at State Route 235 in the area of the accident, thinking maybe it has full-sized buggy lanes. In the Google Street View image below you can see SR 235, with County Road 13, the intersection near where the accident occurred, ahead on the left.

We see this is a paved shoulder, which might be called a buggy lane, but not the widest – at least not like those you see in some places. Just eyeballing it, it seems to me it would be a tight fit for a buggy to remain fully on that shoulder.

In any case, I think it’s a good reminder to always slow down when passing. Perhaps the driver did do that; it is unclear from that piece of information provided about speed, as noted above.

I would say that’s even more important if you’re passing while remaining fully in your lane. If you watch a buggy traveling down the road from behind, you’ll see it typically does not travel in a perfectly straight line.

The driver was cited for “assured clear distance ahead”. A report will be sent to the prosecutor with the possibility of further charges.

Logan County is home to two Amish settlements. The community at DeGraff, a conservative one, is where these people are from. It is home to around 1,000 Amish people. The second, in the area of Belle Center, is home to a quite different type of community, a New Order Amish settlement of over 300 people.

Reaching For Sunglasses

On looking further, I found another report filling in a critical detail:

She told deputies she was going about 55 miles per hour and was distracted reaching for her sunglasses at the time of the accident.

Deputies said she was very remorseful because of what had occurred and was offered grief support at the scene.

If the impact happened while being distracted, it would suggest that there was not a lot of time to brake, if any. I feel sorry for her.

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