Woman gets 48 months for fatal Amish buggy crash that killed 2 kids
Woman gets 48 months for fatal Amish buggy crash that killed 2 kids
A 37-year-old woman was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for the September 2023 crash involving an Amish buggy that killed two children near Stewartville.
FILLMORE COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 37-year-old woman was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for the September 2023 crash involving an Amish buggy that killed two children near Stewartville.
Samantha Petersen pleads guilty
What we know:
Samantha Petersen pleaded guilty back in July, admitting she was driving a vehicle that crashed into the back of the Amish buggy. She also admitted to being high on methamphetamine at the time of the crash.
She filed a petition to enter a guilty plea on one count each of criminal vehicular homicide while under the influence and criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm while under the influence of a controlled substance.
Petersen was facing 21 criminal charges in connection with the Sept. 25, 2023, crash in Fillmore County.
In her plea, Petersen said, "I admit that I was under the influence of methamphetamine while driving… as a result, I crashed my vehicle into the back of an Amish buggy," the court document read. "By driving under the influence and not paying attention to the road or other traffic, I caused an accident that directly resulted in the death and injury to others."
Twin sister tries to take the blame
The backstory:
After the crash, Samantha called her twin sister, Sarah Beth Petersen, to the scene. When authorities arrived, Sarah claimed she was the driver, while Samantha left. The ruse fell apart due to discrepancies in their statements and an investigation into their cell phone and work records.
Text messages and phone calls revealed the truth. Samantha texted her human resources manager, "I just killed two Amish people" and admitted to being high on meth.
Sarah Beth Petersen pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the cover-up in February 2025. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 120 days of home monitoring, and four years of probation.