3 kids killed in Amish buggy crash while on their way to school

Three siblings were killed this week when the horse-drawn Amish buggy they were taking to school was rear-ended by an SUV. 

The children – ages 9, 10 and 13, were killed near Bremen, Indiana, about 20 miles south of South Bend. 

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What happened to the children? 

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What we know:

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According to The Kansas City Star, the children were on the way to school when a Mercedes SUV driven by a 17-year-old crashed into the back of the cart, ejecting all three children. The children died at the scene; the SUV driver was uninjured, police said. 

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What we don’t know:

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It’s unclear whether the SUV driver is facing charges for the crash. 

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Buggy crashes on the rise in Indiana

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Dig deeper:

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Indiana is home to the world’s third-largest Amish population, according to Amish America. As of 2024, more than 63,000 Amish live in the state. 

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A Purdue University study found that the Amish population is growing faster than the rest of the population, leading to an increase in crashes involving buggies and cars. 

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“Compared to motor vehicle incidents, these collisions result in a disproportionate number of fatalities,” the study says. 

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Attorney Dan Armstrong told WNDU that most Amish buggies don’t have seatbelts or other safety components, which makes any crash involving them more dangerous than others.  

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“There’s not going to be air bags, there’s not going to even be structural components to these buggies that will protect the occupants,” he said. 

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But he also told the outlet that it’s “tricky” to balance trying to make the roads safer while not infringing on the beliefs of the Amish population. 

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According to WDNU, there’s no minimum age for operating a horse drawn vehicle in Indiana. 

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Crime and Public SafetyIndiana