Accidents happen all over the United States every day. These can include cars, motorcycles, boats, planes and in some regions like Nebraska where there are Amish communities, horse-drawn carts can be involved. Unfortunately, one such accident occurred on July 21 when a woman ran into the back of a horse-drawn buggy and caused a fatal accident.
The 56-year-old driver of the car struck an Amish horse and buggy around 9 a.m. The woman was driving alone with a learner’s permit, which requires that a licensed driver over the age of 21 be in the car. The driver of the buggy, a 17-year-old Amish boy, was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger, his twenty-year-old sister, suffered head injuries and was transported to Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln. As of July 25 she was still in critical condition.
The DMV does not know why the woman had a learner’s permit when she already had a driver’s license before it expired. She allegedly caused a fatal accident, but the district attorney does not know if charges will be filed against her. According to some Nebraska residents, the Amish in the area are very cautious and safety aware, and for that reason this is the first car-buggy accident that occurred in that region in a very long time.
Even if charges are not filed against the woman for causing the fatal accident, the family of the victim may have the right to seek monetary compensation for the loss of life through the judicial system of Nebraska. Compensation could help cover any final expenses, such as funeral costs, and ease the financial burden that is sometimes left on a family after a loved one passes away. This would allow the family to focus on coming to terms with their tragic loss, and help the woman in the hospital focus on recovering fully.
Source: Source: omaha.com, “Woman involved in accident with horse and buggy was driving illegally,” Kevin Cole, July 23, 2013