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New York Car Crash Kills 5 and Injures 8

A group of Amish Christians have been injured and killed in a horrific car accident in New York Tuesday.

This incident involved a car side swiping a van carrying 14 Amish Christians, sending the van under a nearby tractor. The crash, that took place in the rural Finger Lakes region of New York on Tuesday, killed five of the Amish and injured eight plus the tractor driver.

According to Yates County Sherriff Ronald Spike, five of the Amish were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, and eight were taken to nearby hospitals along with the driver of the tractor.

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“It’s just a horrific tragedy,” Spike said. “It really strained the EMS services and fire departments. There was a lot of hard work at the scene.”

The Sheriff’s Office released the names of those who died late Tuesday. Melvin Hershburger, 42; Sarah Miller, 47; Melvin Hostetler, 40; Anna Mary Byler, 60; and Elizabeth Mass, 46; were the Amish Christians killed in the crash.

“It’s probably one of the worst accidents we’ve had in this country that I can remember,” said Spike.

Steven Elderidge, the driver of the car, was charged with five counts of criminally negligent homicide, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, unsafe passing, speed not reasonable and prudent and failure to keep right after passing.

Elderidge was not injured in the crash, and after his arraignment at Town of Benton Court, he was sent to Yates County Jail. He is due back in court on Friday morning.

The tractor driver that the Amish Christians collided with, Tim Labarr, is currently being treated at Geneva General Hospital for internal injuries.

The road where the crash took place was immediately closed down, but opened seven hours later according to police.

The Amish Christians involved in the crash were all adults from Steuben County.

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