Amish Buggy Accidents and Distracted Driving


August 3, 2016 / Vehicle Accidents

Recently in Indiana, a rash of accidents between motor vehicles and horse-drawn buggies illustrate the dangers of distracted driving. In Elkhart County, two crashes—one on May 29, 2016, and one on June 2—have highlighted this serious problem.

In the May 29 accident, a teenaged girl rear-ended a buggy that was carrying a 6-week-old baby, along with the child’s Amish parents, on Indiana State Road 13. The 17-year-old driver said, because she was distracted, she did not notice the buggy until she was unable to avoid the accident. In the June 2 accident, a buggy containing an Amish woman with her 4-year-old child was rear-ended by a distracted driver.

Even though no life-threatening injuries occurred in either recent accident in Elkhart County, these crashes demonstrate that drivers can overestimate how much time they have until they reach a buggy. Often, they do not try to pass or slow down soon enough. In 2015, animal-drawn vehicles and motor vehicles were involved in 20 crashes in Elkhart County, Indiana, alone.

A less fortunate result of a buggy-motor vehicle accident occurred in early May, 2016, in Wayne County, Indiana. A 17-year-old Amish male from Economy, IN, died when his buggy was struck by one car and sideswiped by another. The teen was thrown into the path of a third car and died at the scene.

Cory Anderson, a doctoral candidate at Ohio State University, examined the reasons behind buggy crashes in a number of Amish and Old Order Mennonite settlements. Anderson was able to establish that one of the main reasons for the accidents is drivers thinking buggies are traveling faster than they actually are, resulting in the drivers coming up behind the buggies much faster than they thought they would. Drivers were also found to demonstrate risky behaviors such as distracted driving, driving while impaired, and passing buggies carelessly.

It only makes sense, if you are in “plain” country, that you pay greater attention to buggies and other non-motorized vehicles and decrease your speed. It’s all too possible to come upon a buggy quickly and then be unable to avoid a tragic accident.

Remember that the third-largest Amish population lives in Indiana, following the residents in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Indiana’s largest and oldest Amish communities can be found in Elkhart and LaGrange counties. While some roads in the area have buggy lanes, a number of them do not. We at Stephenson Rife hope you will exercise all due care when driving in Amish areas.

Successfully litigating personal injury cases in Indiana since 1982.

After an accident on Indiana roads, you’re likely to be feeling confused and shocked. You may be trying to recover from broken bones and lacerations while depending on various solutions to ease your discomfort and get you through both day and night. If the accident has caused you to miss work, you’ll be worried about supporting your family and paying your bills.

Stephenson Rife can relieve that burden. We’ve handled hundreds of vehicular accidents and we know exactly how to go about handling your accident claim so that you receive maximum compensation. Hand the worry over to us and let our resources back you up. Use the contact form on our website or call 1-317-825-5200. It won’t cost you a penny until we obtain damages on your behalf.

 

Attorney Mike Stephenson

Attorney Mike StephensonMike Stephenson has 40 years of experience and is a trusted advisor to many individuals and companies. His current practice is dominated by civil litigation in state and federal courts. He focuses much of his time on handling catastrophic injuries caused by all types of accidents, including motor vehicle, trucking, workplace injuries, product liability, and fire, just to name a few. He also works extensively in construction accidents. [ Attorney Bio ]

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