Why some Amish would rather go to jail than make simple update to a tradition that has been blamed for killing dozens [Video]

11:11 EDT 04 Aug 2024, updated 11:11 EDT 04 Aug 2024

On Sunday, July 14, around 6pm, a 2006 Ford F250 careened into the back of an Amish horse-drawn carriage in Cumberland County, Virginia, killing an eight-year-old girl who was riding inside.

Just over an hour later, a 2020 black Ford Escape smashed into the rear of an Amish buggy in Lowville, New York, killing a 17-year-old boy.

The two tragic accidents come amid a devastating surge in fatal crashes involving Amish vehicles, whose low speeds and poor visibility are wreaking havoc on the roads.

Yet some stubborn Anabaptist communities are refusing to comply with new laws designed to improve public safety – even though their own children are being killed as a result.

Ardent traditionalists say they won’t fix electric lights to their buggies because it conflicts with their religious beliefs, sparking the ire of local residents.