O/T Wouldn't that unplug your coffee pot.........

In NW Missouri this afternoon, by Stanberry, I was in Amish country and was the first on the scene of where a car had creamed an Amish horse and buggy from behind. I was probably only a minute or two after it happened. There was an elderly Amish couple in the buggy. The gentleman was on his feet, kinda dazed, his wife was sitting in the middle of the road in amongst a bunch of kindling wood that had once been the buggy, and the horse was lying on the side of the road. The guy that had hit them was stopped a couple hundred yards down the road and was just getting out of his car, kinda dumfounded.

I parked on the shoulder with the four way flashers on. When I asked the lady if she was hurt, she said she didn't know. I called 911 and reported it. Thankfully, it was near a junction of two highways, and when I told the 911 operator what the road signs said, he said he knew exactly where it was. Otherwise, I probably could have gotten the coordinates out of my GPS. Anyway, 911 said they would send an ambulance and the law. By then, the horse had gotten on his feet and ran a quarter of a mile down the road. He probably thought, "Screw this place!"

I was running late, but I stuck around until things were pretty much under control, and a number of other people had stopped. The Amish gentleman and some other guy got the lady on her feet. I wished them both luck and went on my way.

I was on the job and had my digital camera on the seat of my car, but in deference to the Amish religion I refrained from taking pictures. I figured if any pictures needed to be taken, the law could cope with it.

Shortly before this incident, a rock flew off a dump truck and busted my windshield. And I was meeting the truck, so no one can say I was following too close.

After all that, the rest of the day was uneventful.

You're a good man Goose!

Sounds like enough for one day!

Last fall 2 Amish neighbors returning from the farmers market were rear ended by am SUV. Both were taken to emergency. Both banged up for a couple days. They had a wagon and team. One horse Killed. SUV had a Oak 2X4 in the block. I took their wives and the ones FIL to the emergency to see them and haul them home. 3:30 am on the way back home I and the FIL are at the side of the road filling my pickup with what was salvagable of the wagon and produce. The one said, " All I remember is driving, the next thing I knew I was flying through the air lookin' for something to grab onto. By the time I got my wits about me he (his friend) was already up and trying to calm the surviving horse down". I think they are both lucky that the wagon that they used for the trip had the seat just set on it. when they were hit, the seat slid back into the produce and acted as a shock absorber.

You were only about 50 miles from us - and you didn't stop! Where were you headed?

Thanks for stopping at ANY accident. I hope everyone is ok.

The problem with that (Stanberry) Amish community is, it is not that large (compared to the others in the area), there is a lot of "through" traffic, and the roads are curvy/hilly - without good sight lines. People just don't expect them to be there. Where we live, there are very few accidents, most roads are wide, and better sight distances. People also know they are there because the whole thing is a tourist trap.

My FIL came up over a hill one time, driving a straight truck loaded with lumber. When he crested the hill, there were two buggies coming up the other side - RACING. There was no where to go, so he took the ditch, and rolled the truck. The buggies never even slowed down.

It ain't always the "English" who cause the accident....

I was on the job, doing insurance inspections. I'd done a couple of residences by Bethany and Pottersburg and was headed back to Maryville to do a commercial inspection on an implement dealer.

I have my GPS set on "quickest route", so it takes me cross country frequently.

I live 20 miles west of Lincoln, NE, but lately it's not uncommon for me to be sent to NW Missouri, in the area north and northeast of St. Joe.