The peaceful streets of Berne, Indiana’s Amish heartland turned into a nightmare scene just before midnight on October 7, when a Jeep barreled into a horse-drawn buggy traveling along State Road 218.
First responders rushed to the crash site around 11:20 p.m., finding wreckage scattered across the asphalt and the Jeep sitting mangled in a roadside ditch. Locals say it’s among the worst accidents this tight-knit community has seen in recent memory.
Nine people had been riding in that buggy. Seven walked away injured—six of them children.
Medical teams transported the injured to area hospitals. The buggy’s driver, 32-year-old Ruben L. M. Schwartz, suffered severe trauma and had to be helicoptered to Lutheran Hospital for emergency treatment, Amish America reports. His wife, Saraetta L. Schwartz, also 32, and their 2-year-old refused medical attention on-site, though witnesses say they were clearly distressed.
Police say the Jeep’s driver, 33-year-old Bradley J. Ocilka from Burlington, Kentucky, was heading eastbound when he struck the slow-moving buggy. Ocilka underwent a required blood draw at the hospital but turned down additional medical care.
The case remains under investigation, and authorities haven’t pressed charges yet. Adams County Sheriff Dan Mawhorr called the response effort “chaotic but well-coordinated,” commending the teamwork between Adams County EMS, Indiana State Police, and area fire crews.
Crash photos reveal the buggy’s remains strewn across the roadway while emergency personnel worked beneath the glow of patrol lights. Since then, the Amish community has rallied around the Schwartz family, holding prayer vigils in homes and churches throughout the area. In a community where faith and solidarity run deep, this collision stands as a stark warning about the risks Amish families face when sharing highways with high-speed traffic.
Local authorities and road safety groups are calling on motorists to reduce speed, stay vigilant, and maintain safe distances when passing horse-drawn buggies—particularly after dark. While investigators continue their work, the people of Berne are concentrating on what matters most: healing and standing by their neighbors in crisis.
Please SHARE this story with your loved ones on Facebook.
