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Amish buggy struck in drunk driving accident, 1 dead

Ohio is home to a number of Amish buggy drivers. These buggies are subject to certain laws that help to ensure the safety of both riders and motorists. Buggies must bear reflective markers, for example, to ensure that they are highly visible, even at night. Those who obey these regulations have the same rights to share the road as any driver, bicyclist or pedestrian.

Even the safest buggy driver can be endangered by an unsafe motorist, however. This was apparently the case in a recent incident in Burton, Ohio, where a buggy was struck by a man in an SUV.

The incident occurred late on a Saturday night, when a man rear-ended a buggy carrying a family of five. The collision killed a 28-year-old man who was riding in the buggy, and injured the other four. The four injured riders were taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries.

Following the crash, a horse came loose from the buggy. The animal was hit and killed by another vehicle; fortunately, the occupants of this vehicle are believed to be unharmed.

The driver of the SUV was taken into custody. Police say he attempted to flee the scene, but the damage to his vehicle caused him to come to a stop approximately a half a mile down the road. Police say alcohol played a role in the crash. The man has stated to authorities that he was impaired at the time of the crash and that he fell asleep behind the wheel.

Fatal drunk driving crashes, especially those in which the driver attempts to flee, often bring extremely serious criminal charges on the intoxicated driver who is responsible. However, these criminal charges do nothing to compensate the victim’s family for their losses. Often, in such cases, victims turn to personal injury lawsuits as a way to recover compensation for the medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of companionship and pain and suffered they have endured as a result of the crash.

Source: Fox 8 Cleveland, “Man Killed, 4 Others Hurt When SUV Hits Buggy Carrying Family” Darcie Loreno and Autumn Ziemba, Mar. 30, 2014