Two simple crosses — one with a message saying “Trust the Lord” — mark the spot where just a year ago, the world shifted for dozens of people in Steuben and Yates Counties.
Deep scars in the asphalt along Pre-Emption Road are a visual reminder of the emotional scars that remain as two communities forever tied by a tragic moment work to recover from the July 19, 2011 accident in which several Amish people from Steuben County perished on a hot summer day.
Steven Eldridge, the man who caused the accident that killed six people and a dog, and seriously injured eight others is now serving a 24-year prison term after pleading guilty to multiple charges. “Families and victims of your crime will forever have heavy hearts,” Yates County Judge Patrick Falvey said at Eldridge’s sentencing. “Their victim-impact statements show that they have more compassion and mercy than you deserve.”
Non-Amish often misunderstand Amish traditions of forgiveness.
That tolerance was never more incomprehensible than after the collision that orphaned 13 siblings ages six months to 18 years, and left several widows and widowers.
The children’s mother lingered on life support for a week. Two consecutive weekends of Amish funerals brought hundreds of relatives from as far away as Illinois and Indiana. Out-of-state mourners marveled at how Southern Tier law enforcement officials ensured solemn corteges of horses and buggies were unimpeded by noisy traffic.
The Amish tolerance has been evident for almost a year. Amish collectively forgave Eldridge.
Two Amish business owners stricken with grief explain they strongly believe that they must forgive before God will forgive them.
“Maybe if somebody had forgiven the imprisoned driver for his first transgressions years ago the July accident never would have happened,” one owner said.
Moving mourning families forward with their lives took extraordinary efforts.
Some accident victims remained hospitalized for months; several needed multiple surgical procedures to repair broken bones and torn flesh.
Non-Amish neighbors collected funds to help pay for stratospheric hospital bills.
The orphaned children’s aunt and uncle — their father’s younger brother — sold a home in Ohio and moved their mattress-fabricating business to Jasper to adopt and care for the children late last summer. Several siblings help in the business each day after school.
The day of Eldridge’s sentencing in March, the newly-configured family attended a community wedding.
One Amish couple affected by the accident gave birth to a son shortly before the wedding and family and community members rejoiced at the beginning of life.
Two simple crosses — one with a message saying “Trust the Lord” — mark the spot where just a year ago, the world shifted for dozens of people in Steuben and Yates Counties.
Deep scars in the asphalt along Pre-Emption Road are a visual reminder of the emotional scars that remain as two communities forever tied by a tragic moment work to recover from the July 19, 2011 accident in which several Amish people from Steuben County perished on a hot summer day.
Steven Eldridge, the man who caused the accident that killed six people and a dog, and seriously injured eight others is now serving a 24-year prison term after pleading guilty to multiple charges. “Families and victims of your crime will forever have heavy hearts,” Yates County Judge Patrick Falvey said at Eldridge’s sentencing. “Their victim-impact statements show that they have more compassion and mercy than you deserve.”
Non-Amish often misunderstand Amish traditions of forgiveness.
That tolerance was never more incomprehensible than after the collision that orphaned 13 siblings ages six months to 18 years, and left several widows and widowers.
The children’s mother lingered on life support for a week. Two consecutive weekends of Amish funerals brought hundreds of relatives from as far away as Illinois and Indiana. Out-of-state mourners marveled at how Southern Tier law enforcement officials ensured solemn corteges of horses and buggies were unimpeded by noisy traffic.
The Amish tolerance has been evident for almost a year. Amish collectively forgave Eldridge.
Two Amish business owners stricken with grief explain they strongly believe that they must forgive before God will forgive them.
“Maybe if somebody had forgiven the imprisoned driver for his first transgressions years ago the July accident never would have happened,” one owner said.
Moving mourning families forward with their lives took extraordinary efforts.
Some accident victims remained hospitalized for months; several needed multiple surgical procedures to repair broken bones and torn flesh.
Non-Amish neighbors collected funds to help pay for stratospheric hospital bills.
The orphaned children’s aunt and uncle — their father’s younger brother — sold a home in Ohio and moved their mattress-fabricating business to Jasper to adopt and care for the children late last summer. Several siblings help in the business each day after school.
The day of Eldridge’s sentencing in March, the newly-configured family attended a community wedding.
One Amish couple affected by the accident gave birth to a son shortly before the wedding and family and community members rejoiced at the beginning of life.
On Thursday, the one year anniversary of the accident, family and community members are likely to visit the six graves in a quiet out-of-the-way meadow adjacent to a corn field. This year’s stunted crop suffers the same lack of rain as nearby fields did last year.
Emergency workers who were thrust into a horrific scene last July are also working to recover from the trauma they witnessed.
“This incident killed six individuals, and in my 40 years, (that’s) the most lives lost at any single traffic incident in Yates County since the five boys were killed in 1976 — a scene that I also was at,” said Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike recently, noting the toll such tragedies take on a community.
Brian Winslow, director of emergency management, adds, “I think this accident has strengthened emergency responders working together. This accident showed how important training is for all emergency responders and how well-trained and prepared Yates County responders are.”
“Many will never forget what they saw and experienced that day,” adds Spike, discussing the impact of the accident on responders. “We had multiple sessions and critiques, and offered EAP (employee assistance programs) when applicable.”
Winslow adds, “I believe that the fire and EMS people have been handling it as well as anyone could, seeing the destruction and death that happened that day. I believe that all emergency responders (fire, EMS and law enforcement) help each other get through tough calls like this, as well as having debriefings to help people deal with their emotions after something tragic like this accident.”
Looking back at the work that was done that day, Spike and Winslow agree that communications are key in managing and supervising workers at a mass casualty incident, and the incident helped identify the need to improve radio communications systems.
“Incident command and interactions with various disciplines is very important. We are using the incident as an example in a recent state interoperability communications grant application showing the need and justification for multiple band radio communications between first responders for complete radio communications,” Spike says.
