FARMINGTON, Mo.—An 8-year-old boy is dead and four others are hospitalized after a horse-drawn carriage carrying a Mennonite family was struck from behind by a pickup truck in Missouri.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the accident happened around 6:45 a.m. Thursday in a remote area of St. Francois County, about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis.
An 8-year-old child is dead and three other people have been flown to hospitals after a horse-drawn carriage was struck by a pickup truck in Missouri. https://t.co/EtR0Nehsjh
— FOX4 News (@fox4kc) July 11, 2019
Patrol Cpl. Juston Wheetley told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the family was on its way to pick blueberries at a farm near the crash site when a truck driven by a 19-year-old man struck the rear of the buggy.
The boy died at the scene. Two children, ages 10 and 12, were flown to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Two adults in the carriage, ages 50 and 28, were also seriously hurt.
Car Hits Amish Buggy, Injuring Six Children
In a similar incident last week, a 63-year-old car driver hit a horse-drawn Amish carriage leaving six children injured near Morley in Michigan, according to the Mecosta County Sheriff’s office.
The accident happened just after 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, on 5 Mile Road near 165th Avenue in Deerfield Township, WZZM-TV reported.
6 children injured in Mecosta County buggy crash https://t.co/s3WBwmKeTJ
— 13 On Your Side (@wzzm13) July 4, 2019
The buggy was transporting eight people, six of whom were injured. All of the victims were children ranging from 1 to 12.
A 10-year-old girl needed to be airlifted to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in critical condition. A one-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old girl had to be treated for minor injuries at Spectrum Health in Big Rapids, according to Mecosta County Police.
Later, Michigan Live reported, all injured children were treated at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Five were said to be in fair condition, except for the ten-year-old girl, whose condition is still critical.
A Michigan girl is fighting for her life after a crash today between an Amish horse-drawn buggy and a car. https://t.co/WiKKv59W7G
— WSBT (@WSBT) July 4, 2019
Many people took to social media to express their concern for those hurt in the accident. A Facebook user going by the name of Danny Bean commented on a post by the Daily News covering the event:
“It’s a tragedy that this happens but there should also be responsibility on the Amish as much as an insured registered driver maybe we should look at lanes off to the side of the road might solve this problem if they would simply move over Our roads are designed for rubber tires, not steel wheels.”
Six children injured when Amish buggy hit by car https://t.co/ejSdVLy4Nl
— Marco Bulnes (@MayanBulnes) July 4, 2019
The vehicle was driven by a 63-year-old man from Cedar Springs, who was not injured. Police say there was no alcohol involved, but the case is still under investigation.
The identities of the victims were not released, and neither were the two inhabitants of the buggy who were not injured.
NTD reporter Victor Westerkamp contributed to this article.
