A crash Thursday in upstate New York has claimed the life of a horse that was pulling a carriage. The crash once again sheds some light on New York’s amish population, and close proximity their horse-drawn buggies can come to full-size vehicles on the state’s back road.
At the scene, a 12-year-old child was believed to have sustained serious injuries, but police say a subsequent to an evaluation at the hospital revealed the injuries to be minor.
Pick-Up Truck Hits Amish Buggy in New York State, Killing HorseÂ
New York State Police said in a press release that on January 8, approximately 3:18 p.m., troopers responded to a crash involving an Amish buggy and a pick-up truck on County Highway 13 in the town of Pittsfield.
An investigation at the scene determined that a Ford pick-up truck was traveling east on County Highway 13 when the operator drifted right, striking the horse and buggy which was traveling in the same direction on the shoulder of the roadway.
The buggy was occupied by four children at the time of the crash. A 12-year-old female of New Berlin suffered injuries and was transported to the hospital. Three other children, a 14-year-old male of New Berlin, a 9 -year-old female of New Berlin and a 7-year-old male of New Berlin were checked out on scene but not transported.
Sadly, police say that the horse sustained fatal injuries.
The operator of the pick-up, a 26-year-old man from Morris, New York did not report any injuries and was issued a citation.
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
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.