Amish family injured when buggy hit

Published 6:46am Wednesday, December 23, 2009

An Amish couple and their 3-month-old child were injured Monday night when their horse-drawn buggy was hit by an SUV near Bertha.

The accident happened shortly after 9 p.m. on Todd County Road 24, just east of the Otter Tail County line.

According to the Todd County Sheriff’s Office, James Miller of rural Deer Creek was westbound in a Jeep Grand Cherokee when he struck the back end of an Amish horse-drawn buggy traveling in front of him.

A rural Bertha couple and their infant riding in the buggy were transported to Tri-County Hospital by ambulance.

Sheriff Peter Mikkelson said Wednesday he did not believe the injuries were serious. He said he believed the family had been released from the hospital.

Miller was not injured, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities believe alcohol was a factor in the crash and have sent a sample of Miller’s blood in for testing. An investigation is ongoing.

The horse pulling the buggy was injured, though it was able to walk away from the scene, Mikkelson said. The buggy was totaled.

Deputies stayed on the scene for about two hours. Other responding agencies included Bertha Police, Ambulance and Fire and Rescue, as well as Tri-County Ambulance.

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