– Minnesota woman blamed twin for crash that killed children in Amish buggy
– Woman from Minnesota tries to shift blame to identical twin for fatal crash involving Amish buggy.

Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Criminal Vehicular Homicide Charges Filed Against Woman in Amish Buggy Crash

Criminal vehicular homicide charges have been brought against a woman from southeastern Minnesota, who stands accused of attempting to shift blame to her identical twin sister for a fatal collision with a horse-drawn buggy in September. The tragic incident resulted in the death of two Amish children.

Samantha Jo Petersen, aged 35, is now facing a total of 21 charges in relation to the case. These include eight felony counts of criminal vehicular homicide, eight counts of criminal vehicular operation, which are also felonies, two gross misdemeanor counts of driving while impaired, and two misdemeanor counts of failing to provide proof of insurance and careless driving. Additionally, the charges include one petty misdemeanor for speeding.

Following the September 25 crash, investigators in Fillmore County were initially unsure about the identity of the driver of the silver SUV that collided with the horse-drawn buggy. Sarah Beth Petersen, aged 35, from Spring Valley, was initially identified as the driver. However, as the investigation progressed, law enforcement officials became suspicious that Samantha Jo Petersen, her identical twin sister, may have been behind the wheel.

According to initial reports from the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office, the accident occurred at 8:25 a.m. on Fillmore County Road 1. A 2005 Toyota 4Runner, traveling southbound, struck a two-wheeled horse-drawn Amish buggy near the intersection with County Road 102. The collision resulted in the tragic deaths of seven-year-old Wilma Miller and 11-year-old Irma Miller. Their siblings, nine-year-old Alan Miller and 13-year-old Rose Miller, sustained injuries, and the horse pulling the buggy also perished in the accident.

An 18-page criminal complaint has been filed in relation to the case, outlining a complex series of events at the crash scene. According to the complaint, a witness at the scene reported seeing a woman, whom he believed to be the driver, making a call to 911 while on the phone. The witness described the woman as a “blonde female wearing a black and red Hy-Vee employee shirt.”

Another witness at the scene described the woman he believed to be the driver as “taller, with light blonde hair and wearing black clothing and no eyeglasses.” This witness later observed another woman arriving at the scene who bore a resemblance to the first woman, but was dressed differently.

The complaint stated, “The second lady had a sleeveless T-shirt and appeared slightly smaller than the first lady. The second witness was unsure how the second lady arrived at the scene; she just seemed to appear. Leroy saw the second lady give the first lady a hug and heard the first lady say that she didn’t see them until it was too late.”

Court documents reveal that Sarah Petersen initially identified herself as the driver in the crash. However, while at the crash scene, audio from a squad car captured a conversation between the Petersen sisters, during which they discussed the difficulty law enforcement would face in distinguishing between them.

On the recording, Sarah can be heard saying, “I think that one of the guys is onto me, but I don’t really care…” and “there’s no way they would ever know the difference between the two of us so they can’t tell.”

Later, after a deputy read Sarah her Miranda rights, she expressed that she “didn’t feel like she did anything wrong but knows that she hit someone, killed someone, and would have to live with that for the rest of her life.” She subsequently requested to speak with an attorney, and her phone was seized as evidence.

Meanwhile, Samantha Petersen asked for permission to retrieve an ID from under the floor mat of the silver SUV involved in the crash. During this search, a deputy noticed burned marijuana blunts and “a small tin can commonly used to hold marijuana” inside the vehicle. The silver SUV was subsequently towed and inventoried, revealing a red T-shirt and black smock worn by employees of Hy-Vee, where both sisters worked.

According to court documents, a human resources employee informed law enforcement that Samantha Petersen had clocked out from work at 7:47 a.m. on September 25, 2023. At around 10 a.m. on the same day, Samantha texted the employee, requesting a call from HR.

During the conversation, Samantha confessed to being under the influence of methamphetamine and claimed responsibility for the collision with the Amish buggy, stating, “I f—ed up. I just killed two Amish people.”

When asked about alcohol consumption, Samantha responded, “No, (HR), you know that’s not my first choice… I’m high on meth.”

The complaint further reveals that Samantha told the employee she had left the scene after Sarah arrived. Security camera footage from Hy-Vee, captured earlier on the day of the crash, showed Samantha driving the same vehicle that later collided with the buggy.

The store manager confirmed that Samantha had messaged both the manager and HR on September 25, 2023, admitting that she had made a mistake and was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the crash.

When questioned about Sarah’s decision to take the blame for Samantha, the manager explained that they believed it was because Samantha had cared for Sarah’s children while she was in prison, and now Sarah felt the need to return the favor.

Law enforcement investigators discovered that the phone number used to call 911 at the crash scene matched the number provided by Samantha to the authorities. A search warrant was subsequently granted, allowing for a blood draw and full set of fingerprints to be taken from Samantha on September 26. The results of the tests confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, amphetamine, and Delta-9 THC in her system.

Furthermore, a social worker who had spoken with Sarah’s 13-year-old daughter informed law enforcement that the girl had stated, “My mom wasn’t the one that was driving.” The child expressed concern that upon returning home later that day, her mother and aunt would have disappeared.

The criminal complaint includes messages exchanged between Samantha and another individual from September 25 to September 26, 2023. In these messages, Samantha admitted to hitting the Amish buggy and causing the deaths of two people. She also mentioned making Sarah take the blame to prevent herself from going to prison.

According to the complaint, Samantha conducted internet searches such as “What happens if you get in an accident with an Amish buggy and kill two people,” “how to lock an iPhone so cops can’t access it,” and “if you hit a buggy and kill two people, will you go to prison?”

The Minnesota State Patrol concluded that the driver of the silver Toyota 4Runner SUV was traveling at a speed between 63 mph and 71 mph at the time of the crash. The posted speed limit on County Road 1 is 55 mph, and there were no obstructions on the road, with clear visibility for 1,452 feet before the accident scene.

Court documents indicate that shortly after the crash, both Samantha and Sarah Petersen moved out of their residence in Spring Valley. Their current whereabouts are believed to be in the Kellogg area. At present, Sarah Petersen is not facing any charges related to the incident.

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– Minnesota woman crash killed children Amish buggy
– Woman tried blame identical twin crash killed children Amish buggy.