Infant Seriously Injured in Car-Buggy Crash on State Route 302
ASHLAND COUNTY, Ohio — A 9-week-old girl suffered serious injuries Friday morning after a car struck the back of a horse-drawn buggy on State Route 302 near the Ashland-Wayne county line, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at about 8:01 a.m. Both vehicles were traveling east when a 2012 Honda Civic driven by Dalton Byers, 33, of Sullivan, struck the buggy from behind. The impact tore the buggy apart, scattering pieces along about 100 feet of roadway and shoulder. The buggy went off the right side of the road, and the Civic continued couple hundred feet before stopping off the same side.
Four people were riding in the buggy. The driver was Jacob Gingerich, 38, of West Salem. His wife, 39, an 11-year-old boy and the infant were passengers.
New Pittsburg EMS transported the mother and infant to Wooster Community Hospital. The infant was later transferred to Akron Children’s Hospital. The other three buggy occupants were treated for injuries the Patrol described as non-life-threatening. The horse sustained minor injuries.
The Polk-Jackson Township Fire Department and EMS, the New Pittsburg EMS, the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office and the Ashland Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded.
No citation had been issued as of Friday’s interview. Investigators do not suspect drugs or alcohol, and the crash remains under investigation.
