Amish buggy driver facing charges

[mahatmakanejeeves]

I know. This is not a new story.

Amish buggy driver facing charges

Mar 3, 2021 Updated Mar 3, 2021

An accident involving an Amish buggy in late January has led to DUI charges against the teen who was driving it.

State police after a month-long investigation have charged John E. Byler, 17, of 45 Mercer-New Castle Road with two counts of driving under the influence and one count each of careless driving and a minor prohibited from driving with alcohol, in connection with the mishap that occurred around 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31 on Route 18, just north of Old Hickory Road in Wilmington Township.

According to a criminal complaint, police were called to the area to find the buggy in a ditch with major damage and the horse unleashed. ... Police found open beer cans and a beer bottle mixed in with the buggy wreckage, and two open cases of beer were in the field with unopened cans. Byler, who was at the scene, told police the beer belonged to him, the report said.

Troopers reported smelling alcohol on Byler. He submitted to a blood test that registered 0.138 percent alcohol. ... They determined the accident occurred when the horse had been spooked by a snowplow.

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[Throck]

1. At least he wasn't pulled over for speeding.

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

2. Is the horse alright?

[modrepub]

3. Rumspringa

The Amish allow their older children to "sow their oats" so to speak. After a set time they must choose if they will get baptized and join the church (community). Before that point they are allowed to do things they wouldn't normally be allowed to do. Including driving and drinking but hopefully not at the same time.

I remember this explained to me and have seen it almost first hand. My family was on the way back from a Florida vacation. We pulled into southern Chester County Sunday morning about 4am in a driving July rain storm. There was an open wagon being slowly pulled by a horse. The driver looked no older than 20 had a loose hold on the reigns and was stooped over and obviously out of it (probably drinking). One advantage under those circumstances, the horse probably knew the way home since the operator was probably totally unaware of where they were.

I tend to leave the Amish alone and let them take care of their own. Their transgressions into our world are usually far less offensive than our transgressions into their world (see West Nickel Mines shooting for example).

[FakeNoose]

4. For what it's worth the Amish people as a group are politically conservative

Most of them are (or were) Chumphumpers. Most of them refuse to wear masks and they believe the pandemic is a hoax. If they had TV in the house it would be tuned to Faux Noise, but of course they don't.

[Freddie]

5. I don't think they vote

I might be wrong. But they’re “separate” from government things like school regulations.