Troopers Say Drunk Driver Hit Amish Buggy in New York State

Share the roads! Officials say a New York state man is facing aggravated drunken driving charges after colliding with an Amish buggy Saturday night. Sources say the allegedly drunk suspect hit the buggy with such force that it overturned, causing five family members to be thrown from the carriage.

One young family member has been listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

Syracuse.com says the 58-year-old suspect from Barneveld, NY was driving more than twice the legal limit Saturday night when he struck the Amish family. State police say the driver hit the buggy in the town of Trenton, and initially left the scene in his 2015 Ford pickup before returning. Troopers say his blood alcohol level was 0.21% at the time of the crash.

Officials charged the man with aggravated drunken driving and leaving the scene of a personal injury crash.

Syracuse.com says that the other family members suffered minor injuries, though did not mention the condition of the horse.

How Many Amish Live in NY State? 

The family belongs to one of the largest and most conservative subgroups of Old Order Amish in the nation, according to reports. There are many Amish settlements scattered across New York, Pennsylvania, and parts of the Midwest. According to the numbers put together by the Amish Study, New York has over 21,000 Amish people living in the state, as of 2020.

New York ranks fourth in the nation for Amish citizens.

SEE Also: Officials in New York State Say Minivan Hit Amish Buggy From Behind

Are Accidents Involving Amish Carriages Common in NY?

While it's not every day you find yourself face to face with a horse-drawn carriage on a main road, accidents like this do happen more than you think. In June 2021, an Amish woman was killed after a truck crashed into a buggy on Route 41 in Richland, NY.

Police say a pickup truck hit the back of the buggy that was traveling southbound. A trooper said that the narrow section of road and the shadows cast upon the pavement by a layer of trees may have made it hard for the motorist to see the buggy before it was too late. The NY State Police also said that another vehicle was traveling in the opposite direction, so the driver of the pickup wasn't able to get into the other lane.