On Sunday, Aug. 11, at 9:08 p.m., the Adams County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a traffic accident in the area of SR 124 and County Road 200 East rural Monroe, involving a passenger vehicle and a horse-drawn buggy. A preliminary investigation shows the horse-drawn buggy, operated by Joe Schwartz, 30, from Monroe, and the passenger vehicle operated by Shanelle Bayes, 32, from Decatur, were eastbound on SR 124, just east of C.R. 200E. The passenger vehicle failed to observe the horse-drawn buggy and rear-ended it. The three passengers of the horse-drawn buggy were ejected. The horse-drawn buggy passengers’ ages are 24-years-old, 2-years-old and 10-months-old.
The driver of the buggy was airlifted by Lutheran Air in life-threatening condition for further medical treatment and the other three passengers in the horse-drawn buggy were transported to a Fort Wayne hospital by Adams County EMS.
The driver of the passenger vehicle was uninjured.
Alcohol is believed to be a factor in this incident. The crash investigation is ongoing by the Adams County Sheriff’s office.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Monroe Fire Department, Adams County EMS, Lutheran Air, Decatur Police Department.
