One person died on Sunday in collision with Amish horse-drawn carriage

One person was killed and six others were hospitalized for treatment after a traffic accident Sunday evening in Cumberland County. Officers with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police were called to the 2700 block of Cumberland Road just before 7 p.m. for a report of an accident involving an Amish horse-drawn carriage.

The Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department also responded quickly to the scene and issued an alert at 6:57 p.m. on Sunday, asking people to avoid the area due to a “serious incident.”

The accident involved a pickup truck colliding with an Amish horse-drawn carriage. According to Corinne Geller, public relations director for the Virginia State Police, there were seven people on board the carriage at the time of the accident.

“Six of the seven were transported to UVA Medical Center for treatment of injuries that ranged from severe to life-threatening,” Geller said. “The seventh person died at the scene.”

The identity of that seventh person has not been released. Geller added that the driver of the pickup truck was not injured in the crash.

The cause of the accident is still being determined. Geller said the accident is currently under investigation.

Safety measures for Amish horse-drawn carriages

This is the latest in a series of accidents involving Amish horse-drawn carriages. The most recent occurred on Thursday, April 18, in Buckingham County. The horse in this case was startled by the revving engine of a passing car. The horse-drawn carriage overturned, injuring a young girl. However, most Amish horse-drawn carriage accidents happen because another driver is cornering at high speed and does not notice the horse-drawn carriage until it is too late.

A change in state law last year, Senate Bill 938, required the installation of white lights on the front of the buggy and a red light on the back to make it easier for drivers to see it and respond in time.
“All vehicles, including animal-drawn vehicles or other mobile devices, not otherwise listed in this article, required to be equipped with certain lights shall carry at least one or more white lights in the front and one red light in the rear, visible in clear weather from a distance of at least 500 feet in front and behind such vehicles,” SB 938 states. “Such lights may be battery-operated.”

The bill, which passed both houses of the House without a single dissenting vote, also allows animal-drawn vehicles to use, in place of lights or in addition to lights, a reflector of a type, size and color approved by the Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. This reflector must be permanently attached to the rear and front of the vehicles.

Many Amish families in the area have gone beyond the original requirement and equipped their buggies with yellow lights and reflective tape.

Other ways to warn

When there is a large wedding, auction or other event that involves many Amish residents on the roads, local fire departments and sheriff’s offices in Cumberland, Buckingham, Charlotte and Prince Edward counties post advisories on social media. The Virginia Department of Transportation has also posted warning signs on most major roads in the region to warn people that they may encounter Amish horse-drawn buggies.

Officials with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles say that in addition to slowing down, drivers must also give way when passing horse-drawn carriages on the road. According to the Virginia Driver’s Manual, a motorist must maintain at least three feet of clearance when it is safe to pass an Amish horse-drawn carriage. And most importantly, they are urging people to slow down.