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Amish Buggy Driver Caused Fatal Crash In PA (Update)

An Amish great-grandfather caused the crash that ended his life, East Earl Township explained in a release on Wednesday, Aug. 28. 

An Amish horse and buggy with a man and woman riding in it, and the intersection where the fatal crash happened. 

An Amish horse and buggy with a man and woman riding in it, and the intersection where the fatal crash happened. 

Photo Credit: Pixabay/OlinEJ @olinej-1648317 (overlay); Google Maps (Satellite)

Levi R. Stoltzfus, 81, of Narvon, was driving the buggy east at the intersection of Sheep Hill Road and Springville Road in East Earl Township when he "failed to stop for the stop sign at Springville Road (PA route 897)," police said. 

A 44-years-old woman from New Holland was driving a BMW X5 SUV north on Springville Road "when the horse and buggy entered the intersection the front end of the BMW collided with the right side rear wheel of the buggy, which caused the buggy to overturn," as written in the police release. 

The collision happened at 8:13 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25, according to the police. 

Stoltzfus and his 78-year-old wife were both ejected from their buggy, the police detailed. 

Stoltzfus was pronounced dead at the Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital at 10:24 p.m. that night, according to the Lancaster County Coroner's office. His wife was also taken to the hospital with serious injuries but is expected to make a full recovery, according to the police. 

Following an autopsy on Monday, Aug. 26, his cause of death was determined to be "Multiple Traumatic Injuries" and the manner was ruled an accident.

The driver of the BMW and her 13-year-old passenger were not injured, but the horse was although it is expected to make a full recovery from its minor injuries the police explained. 

The Stoltzfus were married for 57 years, according to his obituary posted on the Furman Funeral Home website. In addition to his wife, Levi is survived by their seven children, 51 grandchildren, and 34 great-grandchildren, along with a brother and three sisters, as Daily Voice previously reported

The East Earl Township Police Department was assisted on the scene by Garden Spot Fire Rescue, New Holland Ambulance Association, Wellspan Ephrata Community Medics, Keystone Valley Fire Department Ambulance (Chester County), the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, including the Lancaster County Crash Team (Reconstruction), and the Lancaster County Coroner's Office. 

The investigation is ongoing, the police said. 

Click here to read more about Levi Stoltzfus in our initial report. 

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