It has happened again. Authorities in New York state say that they are investigating a crash that lead to two juveniles being injured. The crash involved a vehicle and an Amish horse-drawn carriage on one of the region’s busy highways.

According to 2020 numbers put together by the Amish Study, New York has over 21,000 Amish residents living in the state. This makes New York state fourth in the country for Amish people.

Unfortunately, the ultra-Orthodox Amish world and the modern world can come in close proximity on the back roads of the state, resulting in fatal accidents. Amish are especially vulnerable in these situations due to not having the safety protocols that modern vehicles provide.

Another Amish Crash In New York State Leads to Investigation 

WSYR reports that a crash involving a vehicle an Amish buggy sent two juveniles to the hospital with injuries. The crash happened on State Highway 68 in the town of Lisbon, New York, according to St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputies.

Police are continuing the investigation, though they say that the driver struck the buggy the afternoon of November 18.

How to Share the Road with an Amish Horse and Buggy

Safely traveling in a community with an Amish population is a matter of remembering a few, quick tips to avoid a collision with a horse and buggy.

Gallery Credit: Cindy Campbell

The recent rash of vehicle and carriage crashes lead one Sheriff in New York state to issue a message to drivers. Sheriff Mike Carpenelli told WWNY “as silly as it sounds, people want a better answer but pay attention.”.

What the Sheriff is talking about is the number of Amish residents prevalent in some parts of New York state, and the need for motorists and carriages to be able to safely share the road.

Unfortunately, crashes between motor vehicles and Amish carriages have become all too common in the state of New York. Since Amish do not use cars or trucks, residents from their settlements travel in horse drawn buggies to get to where they have to go.

This can cause a traffic problems, as both the carriages and much faster modern vehicles have to share narrow, backcountry roads across areas of Upstate New York.