A heartbreaking tragedy occurred in Wisconsin, wherein a woman and a horse were killed and a 30-year-old man was injured after a semi-truck crashed into an Amish buggy. The occupants of the buggy were thrown out of the vehicle and the buggy was destroyed, while the semi-truck sustained moderate damage with its driver being unharmed.
The Lafayette County Sheriff, Reg Gill, spoke on these occurrences of buggy accidents, saying that they are unfortunately not uncommon. He was alerted of the incident via a dispatch center concerning the crash on State Highway 81, and added that the siblings were most likely returning from an Amish gathering. Gill further noted that buggies are a frequent sight on the roads.
In October 2021, a similar crash happened in Grant County, Wisconsin, resulting in the death of two people, including a youngster, after a rear-ending caused five individuals to be thrown from the buggy, as reported by KCRG. The following month, eight Amish people were injured and one died in north-central Wisconsin as a result of a buggy being hit at “highway speeds”, according to KARE 11. The driver was apprehended for allegedly operating under the influence of a controlled substance and inattentive driving, based on reports from the authorities.
The Wisconsin Amish population is the fourth largest in North America, with a population of more than 15,000, according to Amish America. The community began in 1920, with the oldest settlement being the Medford Amish settlement.