A crash on Monday, Oct. 5, that critically injured two Amish women in Hillsdale County was at least the second vehicle vs. buggy crash in that area in less than a year and adds to a mounting number of car-buggy collisions over the past few years.
The current condition of the two Montgomery women, ages 50 and 19, is unknown, said Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez, First District public information officer. He added the women had sustained head injuries and underwent surgery after being airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.
The crash occurred at about 9:15 a.m. on Oct. 6, when a westbound GMC Terrain struck the horse-drawn buggy the women were in from behind on Territorial Road near Mead Road in Camden Township. The 38-year-old
driver of that vehicle was uninjured, and the crash remains under investigation.
“I’m not sure if the driver was distracted — it was daylight, there’s no reason for him not seeing them,” Gonzalez said. “We do have numerous crashes in that area involving buggies. We do often see that it comes down to distracted driving, (motorists) not seeing or paying attention are coming up on these buggies that are going slowly. They (buggies) have every right to be on the road, and drivers just have to pay attention.”
Gonzalez said the speed limit is around 55 mph on that stretch of Territorial Road, which is paved and flat.
It is the same area where he said another Amish buggy was hit by a truck less than a year ago.
That buggy was carrying two adults and five children on Dec. 21, 2025, when a Chevy Silverado truck southbound on Mead Road hit it from behind. A man from the buggy, as well as a child, were airlifted to U-M hospitals. Another child was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
That crash was just one of many buggy-vehicle crashes in 2025. The Free Press counted at least seven across the state last year just between May and August.
According to Amish America, Michigan ranks sixth in the country in terms of Amish population, with about 21,000 Amish residents spread across 50 settlements in the state.
Kyle Yoder, a Fairview resident, grandson of former Amish and associate pastor of the Fairview Mennonite Church, has many friends in the Amish community and is concerned for their safety on the roads.
“They are a part of the community, and they use the roads and travel corridors just like anybody else,” he said. “When you talk about buggy-car accidents, that’s not a fender bender.”
As a Comins Township Planning commissioner, Yoder notes that bikes and pedestrians are taken into consideration along with vehicles for travel routes, and he believes horse-drawn buggies should be as well, particularly in areas like his where there is a high population of Amish.
More than five years ago, Yoder said the Amish community reached out to the Michigan Department of Transportation with concerns about Kittle Road at M-33 and M-72, just north of Mio where the two state trunk lines meet.
The corner was dangerous, Yoder said, with several buggy accidents and near misses. The Amish were asking for a turn lane to be put in, which MDOT agreed to, if the Amish community would pay for it. They did.
“It’s discouraging that MDOT says wait until the statistics say we need to do something,” Yoder said. “That statistic is my neighbor or my friend. I don’t want to wait for them to die to make the roads more friendly for Amish buggies.”
MDOT Communications Director Jocelyn Garza acknowledged the danger inherent in vehicle and buggy crashes, saying that the potential for fatalities and serious injuries in such collisions increases “tenfold.”
She noted that Branch, Hillsdale and St. Joseph counties received $70,000 in federal highway safety grant funding in 2024 to prevent buggy collisions, which could be used for shoulder widening, additional signage and education.
MDOT, Garza said, is limited in its jurisdiction to state trunklines.
“We try to stay in our lane,” she said. “We would lean into reducing distracted driving. Drive the posted speed limits, stay aware of your surroundings, and watch the signage.”
Gonzalez and Yoder also urged motorists to slow down.
“You are going to reach that buggy way faster than you would reach a car,” Yoder said. “People just need to realize things move slower in the Amish community in general. Have patience. For you, flying by might not seem dangerous because you’re in a car, but for them, that’s a high-risk maneuver.”
Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: After latest crash, a plea to make roads friendlier for Amish buggies
