Two children are dead and a 9-year-old is fighting for their life after a van slammed into two Amish buggies in the town of Richland, New York, on Friday. State police say the victims killed were a 13-year-old and a 7-year-old, while a third child, age 9, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
According to WSTM/CNY Central, New York State Police said the crash happened at the intersection of County Route 41 and Manwaring Road. Troopers responded to the scene Friday, where two Amish buggies had been struck by the van as all three vehicles traveled south on County Route 41 in the same direction.
Per the same report, one buggy was carrying four people and the other carried five, meaning nine people in total were riding in the two buggies when the van hit them. The 9-year-old who survived was taken to Upstate University Hospital in critical condition, the station notes.
Driver Identified, But Cause Still Unclear
The van's driver has been described only as a 47-year-old resident of Sandy Creek who was traveling south on County Route 41 at the time of the crash. State police have not said why the van struck the two buggies, and as of the station's report, no tickets or charges had been announced against the driver.
The names of the two children who died have not been released. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing, and it is not yet known what, if anything, will come of it in terms of citations or charges.
A Painful Echo From Another State
Fatal crashes involving Amish buggies are not unique to New York. In rural Fillmore County, Minnesota, an SUV struck a two-wheeled horse-drawn buggy on September 25, 2023, killing two children and a horse and injuring two others, according to twincities.com. In that case, the driver, Samantha Jo Petersen, faced charges including criminal vehicular homicide, felony criminal operation, and driving while impaired.
That Minnesota case took an unusual turn when Petersen's identical twin sister, Sarah Beth Petersen, pleaded guilty to two felony counts tied to taking responsibility for another person's criminal acts, twincities.com reported. She was ultimately sentenced to 90 days in jail, 120 days of house arrest, and a $1,500 fine, with the remaining 14 counts dismissed.
For now, the community in Richland is left waiting for answers state police have not yet provided. No further details on the victims, the driver, or the cause of the crash had been released as of Friday.
