New York State Police Say SUV Hit Amish Buggy And Drove Off

Less than a week after a Kia Sedona allegedly hit an Amish horse-drawn carriage on State Route 3, offcials say another vehicle has struck a buggy. This time, the crash lead to the death of a teenage occupant, says police.

One country Sheriff has a message for drivers in New York. Sheriff Mike Carpenelli told WWNY "as silly as it sounds, people want a better answer but pay attention.".

What the Sheriff is talking about is the number of Amish residents prevalent in some parts of New York state, and the need for motorists and carriages to be able to safely share the road.

According to 2020 numbers put together by the Amish Study, New York has over 21,000 Amish residents living in the state. This makes New York state fourth in the entire country for the number of Amish residents.

New York State Police Say SUV Hit Amish Buggy And Drove Off 

New York State Police said in a press release that troopers responded to Route 12 in the town of Lowville, for a crash involving a motor vehicle and an Amish buggy Sunday night.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a 2020 black Ford Escape, operated by a 40-year-old man from Copenhagen was traveling north when it struck the rear portion of an Amish buggy traveling in the same direction.

State Police say the driver left the scene of the accident and continued north.

As a result of the collision, all five occupants of the Amish buggy were ejected. State Police say a 21-year-old male, 20-year-old female, 18-year-old female, and 16-year-old male were also injured.

State Police say a 17-year-old Amish male was found deceased at the scene.

Two of the male occupants were transported to Lewis County Hospital with serious non-life-threatening injuries. The two females sustained minor injuries.

The operator of the SUV was later located at his residence. Charges are pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation, says offcials.