DARLINGTON — The insular community of Amish in this part of the state has once again been pierced by tragedy, after another buggy crash Sunday in rural Darlington took the life of a three-year-old and sent other members of a family to the hospital.
According to a press release from Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill, the crash was reported on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 7:08 p.m., on Wis. 81, just east of Burke Road in Darlington Township. Pulled by a single horse, it was occupied by Steven M. Esch, 27, Annie K. Esch 27, and their four minor children. They were headed eastbound on Wis. 81.
The buggy was struck from behind by a 2016 Ford F150 pickup truck, driven by Carson D. Lobdell, 22, also of rural Darlington. Damage to the buggy, according to Gill, was catastrophic.
Several of the occupants of the buggy were ejected. One of the minor children was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lafayette County Coroner’s Office. The remaining occupants were all transported by ambulance to Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County or Southwest Health Center in Platteville. Another minor child was flown from Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County to University Hospital in Madison by UW Med Flight.
Lobdell, the driver of the pickup truck, was uninjured. He has no criminal record and only a single speeding ticket in 2019, according to court records.
The horse pulling the buggy suffered minor injuries from the crash, and was later found at a nearby farm. The pickup involved sustained severe damage and was towed away.
On Monday, one of the four kids who were on board remained at UW Hospital in Madison, where the child had been flown shortly after the crash just before 7:10 p.m.
The identity of the child who was killed has not been released, nor have the names of the any of the other child victims.
A day after the crash, Sheriff Reg Gil and his department were not only still investigating the tragedy, but also working with the Amish community to offer help, building on relationships that have been forged over the years.
“We have to be sensitive to their lives and the way they do things,” he said, not long after returning to the office after meeting in person with Amish family members. “You can’t make phone calls to stay in contact with them.”
Most Amish buggies, including the one involved in the crash, are equipped with LED lighting and reflectors, according to Gill. But it can be hard to determine if they were, in fact, on and even if they were, the visibility they provide is not always great compared to a car or truck.
“It can be deceiving,” said Gill, adding that such lights can create challenges of depth perception, especially for drivers unused to them.
Officials said the Amish community has gathered to take care of its own, as it always does, following such a tragedy. These types of crashes happen too frequently in parts of the country — including here and in Pennsylvania — among other places where buggies and modern vehicles meet.
Gill said the greater Darlington and Lafayette County community also is reaching out to them but he acknowledges the difficulty when such a self-sufficient group is not used to outside help.
“Whatever they are willing to accept,” said Gill.
The site of the crash is not far from where, on Monday, June 19, 2023, at 3:09 a.m., a fatal Semi truck/trailer vs buggy crash occurred on Wis. 81, also just east of Burke Road, in Darlington Township.
The buggy was struck from behind by a 2002 Kenworth semi-truck/trailer, also traveling eastbound and driven by an Oklahoma man.
Fannie King was pronounced dead at the scene, and Samuel King was transported by ambulance to Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County, before being flown to University Hospital in Madison by UW Med Flight.
