Two Children Die After Truck Hits Amish Horse-Drawn Carriage

Two Children Die After Truck Hits Amish Horse-Drawn Carriage
A horse draws an Amish carriage through Georgetown in Bart Township, Pennsylvania on October 6, 2006. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
Janita Kan
6/8/2019
Updated:
6/8/2019

Two young children were killed on June 7 after a pickup truck rear-ended an Amish horse-drawn carriage in Michigan, according to authorities.

Michigan State Police said the incident occurred just after 6 p.m. in a small farming community, Algansee Township, which is near the state’s border with Indiana and Ohio.

Police say two adults and five children were ejected from the carriage when the truck rammed it in, killing two children aged two and six. They added that two other children, who are aged three and four, also suffered life-threatening injuries and were transported to the hospital. A woman also sustained serious injuries, police said.

State Police Sgt. Todd Price told ABC News that the driver of the pickup truck was intoxicated at the time of the accident. The driver, who has not been identified, is currently being held in Branch County Jail. It is unclear whether the driver has been charged.

Police have not released the names of the victims and are investigating the accident.

This comes as state police say another horse-drawn carriage was hit by a car in a separate incident last month.

Police said the incident happened on May 9, when a car traveling cross a center link and hit a horse-drawn carriage “head on,” reported Fox 17.

“The driver of the black passenger car did not stop and continued north on Hamman Rd. The vehicle is believed to have sustained front end damage to include a missing headlight, side mirror, and damage to the front driver side tire,” police said in a statement.

Authorities told the news station that the two adults and six children who were inside the carriage were not injured. The horse, on the other hand, suffered a minor injury.

It is not clear whether the driver on the car involved was drunk.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 30 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes every day. This translates to one person every 48 minutes in 2017, the agency said.

“Driving after drinking is deadly. Yet it still continues to happen across the United States. If you drive while impaired, you could get arrested, or worse—be involved in a traffic crash that causes serious injury or death,” the agency says.

The agency has compiled a list of tips to promote responsible drinking behavior.
  • Plan your safe ride home before you start the party, choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver.
  • If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys and help them arrange a sober ride home.
  • If you drink, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, a ride sharing service, or a sober friend.
  • If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.
  • Always wear your seat belt—it’s your best defense against impaired drivers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.