A late-night crash on October 7 turned tragic when a Jeep struck a horse-drawn Amish buggy on State Road 218 near Berne, Indiana. The peaceful rural setting quickly became a chaotic emergency scene as first responders arrived to find the buggy shattered across the roadway and a Jeep in a nearby ditch.
The buggy was carrying nine people at the time of the crash. Seven were injured and transported for medical care, including six juveniles. The buggy’s driver, 32-year-old Ruben L.M. Schwartz, was airlifted to Lutheran Hospital, while 20-year-old Joseph L.M. Schwartz and five minors were taken by ambulance to Parkview Hospital. Two others, including a 2-year-old and 32-year-old Saraetta L. Schwartz, declined treatment.