(BEDFORD) – Two people were injured and a horse was killed in a buggy accident last Thursday at Old Buddha Road and Starr Lane.
According to a Lawrence County Police report, the accident happened at 8:28 a.m.
Police say that 18-year-old James Lone, of Springville, was traveling north on Old Buddha Road when he approached a horse and buggy traveling southbound on Old Buddha Road.
Lone told police he drove his 2001 Chrysler around the curve and the horse and buggy was slightly in the middle of the road. Lone told police he panicked and applied the brakes and attempted to swerved to avoid hitting the horse and buggy.
Lone’s vehicle crossed the center line and collided with the horse. His car came to a stop in the field. All four occupants of the open buggy were thrown from the buggy. The horse died instantly.
Police say the damage to the front, top, and back of Lone’s car was done when the horse rolled or flipped over the top of the car, crushing it.
Lone told police he was traveling around 30 miles per hour when the accident happened.
The owner of the horse and buggy Gideon Hershberger, of Bedford, is also the father of the three passengers in the buggy.
Those in the buggy told police that the buggy was at the edge of the road and not in the middle. Police say the wheel tracks at the scene confirmed that.
Hershberger told police that the horse did not become scared and does not scare easily. He also told police that Lone was driving faster than 30 miles per hour.
Injured in the buggy was 21-year-old Susan Hershberger, who complained of stomach and leg pain;, 7-year-old Joe Schrock, who suffered a bump on his head and was dizzy and vomiting and had blood coming from his mouth and nose and pain to his arms.
Gideon Hershberger was not injured and 14-year-old Andrew Hershberger, who was also in the buggy, was not injured during the incident.
Lone was not injured during the incident.
