Concerns raised about horse-drawn buggies after 3 kids killed in Marshall County crash

MARSHALL COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - Indiana does not have a minimum age for operating a horse drawn vehicle.

That fact was underscored Wednesday when a car ran into the rear of an Amish cart, killing three siblings aged 9, 10, and 13.

“One of the difficulties of course is not infringing on the way of life of a segment of the population that we have, so trying to make that balance between making the roads safer, but at the same time accommodating people who live a certain way and have certain beliefs. It’s a tricky thing, I think,” said Attorney Dan Armstrong with Keller and Keller.

Armstrong does not represent anyone involved in Wednesday’s crash, but he has worked in the space before and agreed to speak to WNDU 16 News Now to share information that may impact public safety.

Armstrong adds that a little collision goes a long way when it involves a buggy, cart, or wagon: vehicles that offer little protection to occupants.

“The vast majority that you or I will encounter aren’t going to have even seat belts, for that matter,” Armstrong said. “The most will be required is to have lighting mechanisms to make them visible at night, of course, but other than that, no, there’s not going to be air bags, there’s not going to be even structural components to these buggies that will protect the occupants.”

The website Amish America puts the Amish population in LaGrange and Elkhart Counties at 28,000. Wednesday’s accident took place in Marshall County.

Copyright 2025 WNDU. All rights reserved.