Lowville crash sends Amish buggy operator to hospital; driver located
A car and an Amish buggy crashed on State Route 12 in Lowville on Oct. 26, sending the buggy operator to a Utica hospital while the car driver was later located near Copenhagen, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said.
By Jessica Hale, ClickNNY North Country Desk
A car and an Amish buggy crashed Monday afternoon on State Route 12 in the town of Lowville, sending the buggy operator to Wynn Hospital in Utica and prompting an investigation into the crash, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies responded at 2:56 p.m. Oct. 26. The sheriff’s office said the car was northbound and that its driver failed to yield the right of way to the buggy. That preliminary finding remains part of the investigation.
The car left before law enforcement arrived. Deputies later located the driver on Route 12 just north of Copenhagen, and the driver was cooperative, according to the sheriff’s office.
The buggy operator was taken to Wynn Hospital with unspecified injuries. The sheriff’s office did not release additional information about the operator’s condition.
Investigation continues
Charges are pending, and no charges have been filed. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the crash.
New York State Police, the Lowville Fire Department, Lewis County Search and Rescue and Groff’s Towing assisted at the scene, according to information reported by WWTI.
The crash occurred on a route used by both motor vehicles and horse-drawn buggies in Lewis County. In July 2024, a separate fatal buggy crash occurred on State Route 12 in Lowville. That was a different event.
After the 2024 crash, Sheriff Michael Carpinelli said vehicle-buggy crashes often come down to distracted driving and urged motorists to pay attention. In the year before that crash, five buggy-vehicle crashes had been covered locally, three of them fatal.
What drivers should know
The crash affects people traveling through Lowville and along Route 12, including motorists and Amish buggy operators in the Tug Hill and surrounding North Country. Drivers in Lewis, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties should watch for slower-moving horse-drawn vehicles, especially on rural roads shared by buggies and cars.
Motorists should remain attentive and allow room when approaching a buggy. The circumstances of this crash remain under investigation, and the sheriff’s office has not announced any charges.
What happens next
The investigation is continuing, with charges pending. Updates are expected through the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, which is based at 5252 Outer Stowe St. in Lowville and can be reached at 315-376-3511.
Reported by ClickNNY and reviewed by an editor before publication.
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