An Illinois man is being held at the Christian County Jail after a tractor-trailer he was driving hit a horse-drawn buggy, killing a young Amish girl and injuring three members of her family Friday night on Fort Campbell Boulevard, police said
Mark Bohms, 52,
is being held for murder, operating a vehicle under the influence, three counts of assault and criminal mischief, according to the Christian County Jail’ s website.
Jail records do not indicate if Bohms was under the influence of alcohol or another substance.
The accident occurred at 8:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes between Interstate 24 and Crenshaw Boulevard, which is the entrance to the Wal-Mart Distribution Center.
The tractor-trailer, driven Bohms, was behind the buggy in the right lane, said Hopkinsville Police Department spokesman Paul Ray. Bohms attempted to move into the
left lane but could not shift over soon enough to avoid hitting the buggy, Ray said.
The girl killed in the accident was from Pembroke, a family acquaintance said.
Helicopters flew all three of the injured buggy occupants to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said Steve Futrell, public information officer for the Hopkinsville Fire Department.
Ray said two horses pulled the buggy. One horse was killed in the accident. The other horse apparently broke free and ran away. The buggy was virtually flattened and its wheels were knocked off.
Bohms was able to stop his tractor-trailer along the left shoulder of the highway. As police and ambulance personnel attended to the victims, he sat outside the tractor-trailer.
He sobbed with his head in his hands.
The northbound side of the boulevard remained closed late Friday night. One lane of traffic was open on the southbound side.
Ray said Bohms did not appear to be injured.
The names of the members of the Amish family were not yet available.
Truck vs Amish buggy crash
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