Rural Indiana fractured after collision kills 3 Amish kids

Motorists who pass through Amish communities are being reminded to keep their eyes open and be alert for horse-and-buggy drivers after a string of gruesome wrecks left multiple families in mourning — including an incident this weekend in Indiana that left three child dead.

Sharing roads with slower-moving traffic like tractors and the Amish is a part of normal life in rural towns, but these recent collisions have served as a reminder just how quickly tragedy can unfold when modern-day traffic collides with vintage transport.

In the latest heartbreaking case, three children ages 9, 10, and 13 were killed near Bremen, Indiana, when the horse-drawn buggy they were riding in was rear-ended by an SUV. According to The Kansas City Star, the children were being driven to school when the accident occurred.

A 17-year-old driving a Mercedes SUV rear-ended the buggy, ejecting all three children from the wagon, police said. The victims died at the scene. The SUV driver was not injured and officials have not made statements as to whether charges are going to be filed.

The motorist’s mother, Tracy Coleman, took to social media to share the heartbreak both families are enduring and to shed light on the kindness and forgiveness that the children’s family — the Yoders — has shown, even as they mourn.

“My daughter is shattered as well as the beautiful Yoder family,” Coleman wrote on Facebook. “This beautiful family invited my daughter into their home. Hugged her. Told her they love her. Told her that they’re so sorry this happened to her and they forgive her. They believe it was a freak accident and do not hold her responsible for this tragedy.”

Coleman wrote that her daughter immediately turned over her phone, her car’s “black box” data, and completed a toxicology test to confirm there was no reckless behavior or impairment involved in the crash. She explained the children’s cart was smaller than a traditional Amish buggy and had been difficult to see due to a hill in the road.

“Through this tragedy, I’ve seen more love, compassion, understanding and grace come from the Amish community than I ever thought imaginable. My family’s world tragically collided with the most remarkable family I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” Coleman added in her post.

Indiana has the third biggest Amish population worldwide, with more than 63,000 Amish inhabitants leading a simple existence which includes horse-drawn transportation. A recent Purdue University study found that as the Amish community expands, so does the number of buggy-to-automobile collisions.

The crashes often turn out to be devastating because the horse-drawn buggies do not possess many of the safety features available in modern cars, including seat belts and airbags. Attorney Dan Armstrong explained that most buggies are little more than a wooden framing with minimal protective elements for their occupants.

State laws also reflect the cultural difference. Indiana does not have a minimum age to operate a horse-drawn carriage, so it is not uncommon to find children or teens barely old enough to shave in charge of the reins.

Misfortune struck elsewhere as well. In Minnesota, KTTC reports that a 26-year-old Amish woman was injured when her horse-drawn flatbed buggy was struck from behind by a Ford pickup truck driven by a 63-year-old man near Spring Valley. The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office reported the horse pulling the buggy was killed and the woman was transported to Mayo Clinic with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup, identified as Daniel Sheldon of Stewartville, was cited with failure to drive with due care.

And in Michigan’s Delta County, another collision between an Amish buggy and a pickup truck hurt four female passengers, two of whom were seriously injured. Both vehicles were traveling east on 18th Road when the truck struck the buggy, sending the passengers to local hospitals, according to the Delta County Sheriff’s Office. The male driver of the truck was not injured. The collision remains under investigation, with the Michigan State Police assisting in reconstructing the wreck.

These recent crashes indicate a long-standing problem of safety in rural areas where the same roads are traversed by both the old Amish buggies and new motor vehicles. Citizens and policymakers alike find themselves with the predicament of how to ensure everyone is safe, yet at the same time preserve respect for the long-established customs of the Amish.