Prosecutor: No charges in Amish buggy crash that killed 3 children

Lansing State Journal

Police work the scene of a crash involving a horse-drawn Amish cart carrying four siblings on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Chester Township in Eaton County near Charlotte. The children were ages 6 to 13; three died and a fourth was critically injured.

CHARLOTTE — Prosecutors will not be filing charges against an 83-year-old Vermontville man who struck and killed three Amish children riding home from school in a horse-drawn buggy.

The man was driving west on Vermontville Highway near Ainger Road in September 2019 in Chester Township, between Vermontville and Charlotte, when he struck the buggy from behind, according to a press release from the Eaton County Prosecutor's Office. The State Journal is not naming the man because he has not been charged with a crime.

Three siblings, ages 8, 10 and 13, were killed in the crash. Their 6-year-old brother was seriously injured.

The prosecutor's office decided not to file charges after consulting with the parents of the children and considering the possible punishments, according to the release. Prosecutors could have charged the man with three counts of a misdemeanor moving violation causing death, which would be punishable by up to a year in jail and two years of probation.

"Based on (the man's) age, lack of criminal history, and the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is unlikely that he would be incarcerated if convicted," prosecutors wrote. "Rather, it is likely that a conviction would only result in a license sanction, something that has already been addressed."

After the crash: Eaton County’s close-knit Amish community devastated by death of siblings in buggy crash

More: 3 Amish children killed, another injured after vehicle crashes into horse-drawn cart

Signs near Vermontville Highway and M-50 in Charlotte on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, warn of horse-drawn vehicle traffic. Three three Amish siblings died when their horse-drawn cart was struck by a vehicle near Bradley Road. The four children were ages 6 to 13. The 6-year-old, was critically injured but is now in stable condition, police said Thursday.

The Michigan Secretary of State suspended the man's license for 12 months. To have his license restored, he must pass a vision exam, a written knowledge test and a road test, according to the release.

If the man were to be convicted, it is "not likely to accomplish more than a conviction on paper," according to the release.

"The ends of justice would not be advanced by such a prosecution; therefore, the decision was made to close the case without formal charges," prosecutors wrote in the release. "The decision reached today was made in consultation with the family, and takes into consideration their wishes."

The buggy was properly marked with lights and a triangle indicating it was a slow-moving vehicle, according to the release. It was traveling on the right side of the road.

The Vermontville man was speeding; he was driving 60 mph in a 55 mph zone, prosecutors said. He told investigators he did not see the buggy before he hit it.

"The loss of three beautiful children is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts still break for the family," prosecutors wrote in the release. "Their grace during this incident has been truly remarkable. May peace continue to be with them as they move forward. Let the deaths of these children serve as a reminder to use care while driving, and take care of one another."

Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.