A horse and buggy sign, photographed in August 2021, on Cooper Road in Whitefield. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file
WHITEFIELD — An infant was thrown from an Amish buggy last Wednesday after a truck crashed into the horse-drawn vehicle, according to officials.
The crash happened at about 8 p.m. at the intersection of Grand Army and Vigue roads when Cody McCutcheon, 32, turned and hit the buggy, according to Sgt. Scott Hayden of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The buggy had two passengers, including the infant, and neither the man nor the horse were injured. The 1-month-old infant was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta for treatment of minor injuries.
“It was dark and I believe the motor vehicle approached the stop sign at Grand Army Road, and the buggy was crossing down Grand Army Road in front of the intersection,” Hayden said. “They (horse-drawn buggies) are pretty dark, and I believe they only have a lantern on the side. They don’t have any (reflective) signs on the side of them.”
Officials say this horse-drawn Amish buggy was hit by a truck last Wednesday in Whitefield, causing minor injuries to a 1-month-old infant on the buggy. Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office photo
Brackett said the incident resulted in no arrests or charges.
The Amish community in Whitefield is of the Swartzentruber denomination, which is stricter and more conservative when it comes to change. Members of the community are reluctant to add reflective signs or tape to their buggies, according to experts, because it can lead to more change down the line.
Amish buggy crashes occur frequently in central Maine, and communities surrounding Whitefield’s Amish community, such as Pittston, have posted signs to remind motorists they share the roads with horse-drawn buggies.
In June, an adult driving an Amish buggy was injured when a Jeep hit the buggy while attempting to pass it.
Officials said the correct way to pass a buggy on the road is to get as far away as possible widthwise and for the motorist to keep his or her eyes on the road while passing.
Maine law stipulates a person driving a horse-drawn buggy or riding a horse has the right of way, and motorists should use a reasonable speed when passing a buggy or a horse.
“It’s very dark at night,” Hayden said. “(Members of the Amish community) travel at all times during the year in the buggies after dark, and it can be scary coming up on them (in a vehicle).”
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