Three people, including two young children, are listed in stable condition at Upstate Hospital in Syracuse after the horse-drawn buggy they were riding in was struck by a car in Jefferson County.
According to New York State Police, the accident happened Wednesday afternoon on County Route 3 in the town of Clayton. An investigation revealed that a 2023 Dodge Challenger was traveling west when it struck a horse-drawn buggy that was also traveling west. The operator and two passengers of the horse-drawn buggy were ejected after being struck.
All three people were treated by EMS on scene and transported to Samaritan Hospital by ambulance. Two of those victims, a five-year-old and a four-year-old, were then transferred from Samaritan Hospital to Upstate Hospital in Syracuse with serious but non-life-threatening head injuries. The operator of the Dodge Challenger, Scott Vanalstyne, age 58, from LaFargeville, NY, was not injured.
The horse was seriously injured and treated and removed by a veterinarian on scene.
Vanalstyne was issued traffic tickets for Following to Close, Failure to Exercise Due Caution to avoid Collision with a Horse on a Highway, and Speed not Reasonable and Prudent.
