New York State Man Arrested Stemming From Fatal Amish Buggy Crash

State offcials say they have made an arrest following a crash that claimed the life of a young Amish man in late 2023. Police say the driver of a pickup truck hit a horse-drawn carriage from behind, ejecting two Amish passengers.

Unfortunately, crashes between motor vehicles and Amish carriages have become all too common in the state of New York. Since Amish do not use cars or trucks, residents from their settlements travel in horse drawn buggies to get to where they have to go.

This can cause a traffic problems, as both the carriages and much faster modern vehicles have to share narrow, backcountry roads across areas of Upstate New York.

New York State Man Arrested Stemming From Fatal Amish Buggy Crash 

New York State Police said in a press release that back on December 11, 2023, troopers responded to a car versus Amish buggy collision on State Highway 812 in the town of Oswegatchie. Troopers said when arrived on the scene that they located a pickup truck and a demolished Amish Buggy, with two ejected Amish passengers on the side of the roadway.

Troopers say that an investigation determined a 2007 Dodge pickup truck, operated by 34-year-old Ogdensburg man, was traveling south on 812 when he failed to observe a buggy in the same lane of travel. The truck struck the buggy in the rear, ejecting the two passengers, says police.

Troopers say that 21-year-old Joseph Yoder was transported to SUNY Upstate Medical Center for life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately though, 21-year-old Abraham Shetler was pronounced deceased at the scene.

New York State Police say that they have been actively investigating this collision, resulting in the arrest of the pickup truck driver for criminal negligent homicide, and 3rd degree assault on July 7.