Fatal Amish Buggy Crashes Prompt Clash of Cultures

BySophia Johannson

The deaths of three Amish siblings in Indiana this week have intensified calls for improved safety measures for horse-drawn vehicles, while highlighting the delicate balance between modern traffic safety and religious liberty. Glenda Jo Yoder, 13, Darrell Yoder, 10, and Devon Yoder, 9, were killed Wednesday morning when their pony cart was struck from behind by a Mercedes SUV as they journeyed to school.

First responders rushed to the scene on Fir Road in Marshall County around 8 a.m., but all three children were pronounced dead at the site. The driver of the Mercedes was uninjured in the collision, according to People.

“I saw three of them sitting at the intersection of Fifth and Fir this morning waiting for their friends that were in the accident,” local resident Katie told WSBT. She described how Amish children typically gather into groups for the journey to school, with tragic consequences in this case.

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A Pattern of Tragedy

The Indiana accident is not an isolated incident. As Amish communities expand into new regions across America, collisions between motor vehicles and horse-drawn carriages have become increasingly common. In Cumberland County, Virginia, an 8-year-old Amish girl died last July when a pickup truck struck her family’s buggy from behind, also injuring her parents and four siblings.

That crash occurred just half a mile from a 2021 accident that killed both parents in an Amish family and injured their eight children, who were left orphaned. Additional fatal crashes have been reported in Buckingham County and other areas with growing Amish populations, according to Cardinal News.

Law enforcement officials in these areas report that rear-end collisions account for the majority of these accidents, often occurring in broad daylight on straight roads. Cumberland County Sheriff Darrell Hodges has become vocal about the need for solutions after responding to multiple fatal crashes. “I have picked up the last child out of a ditch that I am going to on this issue,” he stated firmly.

Economic Migration Fuels Safety Concerns

Behind this increase in accidents lies a significant demographic shift. Amish families have been migrating from traditional settlements in Pennsylvania and Ohio to states like Virginia, West Virginia, and Indiana, primarily driven by economic factors. Land in traditional Amish strongholds has become prohibitively expensive, with parcels near Lancaster, Pennsylvania selling for $20,000 to $40,000 per acre.

“I was looking for, in plain words, cheaper land,” explained John King, an Amish store owner who relocated to Buckingham County, Virginia. Comparable farmland in rural Virginia sells for $4,500 to $10,000 per acre, making it attractive to young Amish families seeking to establish homes and businesses.

This migration pattern has brought horse-drawn vehicles to rural roads where local drivers have little experience sharing the pavement with buggies traveling at 5-10 mph. Unlike Pennsylvania, where many roads feature dedicated buggy lanes or wide shoulders, rural roads in these newer settlement areas rarely accommodate slow-moving vehicles.

Technological Solutions Meet Religious Resistance

Attempts to address safety concerns through legislation have proven complicated. A bill introduced by Virginia Senator Mark Peake to strengthen safety requirements for buggies failed during this year’s General Assembly session after lawmakers expressed concerns about infringing on religious freedoms.

The challenge stems from the diversity within Amish communities. While some groups accept modern safety features like LED lights and reflective triangles, more conservative sects resist even these basic measures. Members of the Swartzentruber Amish community in Campbell County, Virginia, have been described as “adamantly opposed” to such requirements.

“They have a set of rules from their elders in Ohio. If the elders tell them not to do it, they’re not going to,” explained Captain Jeff Rater of the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office. “They will pay the fines. They would rather get a ticket from an officer than be shunned by their community.”

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Beyond Technical Fixes

Some experts question whether adding more lights or reflectors would significantly reduce accidents. “Most Amish accidents are in broad daylight, on straight roads, where somebody ran into their back ends,” noted Mark DeWalt, professor emeritus at Winthrop University who has studied Amish communities for nearly 50 years. “People driving large vehicles or trucks are not paying attention. A person looking at their cell phone while driving 60 is still going to hit them.”

DeWalt and other researchers suggest that driver education programs focusing on sharing roads with slow-moving vehicles might prove more effective than technical solutions alone. This approach could address safety concerns while respecting religious autonomy.

In the wake of the Indiana tragedy, communities both Amish and non-Amish are left searching for a path forward that preserves both safety and religious freedom—a challenge that grows more urgent with each accident on America’s rural roads.

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