The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

No charges filed in fatal buggy crash

By Brett R. Crossley
The Daily Item

NEW BERLIN — The woman injured in a buggy accident that claimed the life of her son has been discharged from the hospital, and the condition of a second child, also injured in the crash, has improved, authorities said.

Fronie Yoder, 39, of 1297 Amish Road, Winfield, was released from Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, where she was taken after the accident on Route 304 in Limestone Township, Union County, at about 2 p.m. Saturday. Her daughter, Anna Yoder, 11, was listed in fair condition Sunday at Geisinger. She reportedly suffered serious injuries and was taken to Geisinger by helicopter. Her mother was listed in serious condition Saturday night.

The accident, in which a sport utility vehicle allegedly struck the family’s horse-drawn buggy from behind, claimed the life of Ezra T. Yoder, 7, Anna’s brother and one of six children of Tobias and Fronie Yoder.

State police at Milton said they still are investigating the crash. They said no charges had been filed as of Sunday.

Troopers said the accident occurred as Mr. and Mrs. Yoder and the two children were traveling west at a slow speed with Mr. Tobias at the reins. The 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, driven by Jeremy Brown, 36, of 49 Oak Lane, Selinsgrove, failed to stop and struck the buggy, ejecting all four occupants, police said.

Tobias Yoder, 43, and Brown suffered minor injures.

One of the horses involved in the crash had to be euthanized, troopers said. The second horse suffered minor injuries and ran to a nearby farm. The accident occurred just a few miles from the family’s home.

Ezra Yoder was the 15th person to die on Valley roads this year. Last year, 29 people were killed in traffic accidents in Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties.

Saturday’s accident was the second in a week and at least the fifth this year between an automobile and a horse-drawn vehicle.