A late afternoon accident on Route 2 in Island Falls sent four Amish children to Houlton Regional Hospital on Monday.
According to Sgt. Chad Fuller of the Maine State Police, Stephen Porter, 62, of Sherman, was operating his 2003 Volkswagen station wagon westbound on U.S. Highway 2 passing the Daniel Miller residence, which is part of the local Amish community, when four of Miller’s children, ages 9, 8, 7 and 5, were in a horse-drawn buggy and were moving wood from one location on the property to another.
“The children did not stop to check for traffic and came into the roadway from behind a thick tree line,” said Fuller. “Porter was not able to see the horse and buggy and struck the horse sending the buggy into the air and ejecting the children.”
The accident occurred at 2:30 p.m.
The horse was killed and the four children suffered nonlife threatening injuries and were transported to Houlton Regional Hospital via Island Falls Ambulance. The crash is currently under investigation and his being conducted by Trooper John Darcy.
Fuller, Trooper Dennis Quint and Island Falls ambulance and fire assisted at the scene.
