BERNE, Indiana — A quiet rural highway turned into a scene of devastation late Sunday night when a Jeep crashed into a horse-drawn Amish buggy on State Road 218, leaving multiple people injured and several hospitalized.
The crash happened around 11:20 p.m. on October 7. When emergency crews arrived, they discovered the buggy shattered across the roadway and the Jeep wrecked in a ditch nearby. Debris littered the road for several yards, and the horse had run off from the scene.
According to officials, nine people were inside the buggy when the collision occurred. Seven victims, including six children, were transported to local hospitals. The driver, 32-year-old Ruben L.M. Schwartz of Berne, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Lutheran Hospital.
Another passenger, 20-year-old Joseph L.M. Schwartz, along with the six juveniles, were taken by ambulance to Parkview Hospital. Two others — 32-year-old Saraetta L. Schwartz and a 2-year-old child — declined medical care at the scene, authorities said.
Adams County Sheriff Dan Mawhorr reported that the buggy was hit from behind by an eastbound Jeep driven by 33-year-old Bradley J. Ocilka of Burlington, Kentucky. The force of the impact threw most of the occupants from the buggy. Ocilka was taken for a mandatory blood test but refused other treatment.
At this time, no charges have been filed, and investigators are still determining how fast the Jeep was traveling and whether impairment was a factor.
Emergency responders from several agencies — including Adams County EMS, Berne Police, Geneva Police, and the Indiana State Police — assisted at the scene.
Officials described the aftermath as “chaotic and tragic,” commending first responders for their quick actions in helping the injured and securing the area during one of the county’s most severe recent accidents.
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