What happened
Three people were injured when a minivan struck a horse-drawn buggy from behind on State Road 13 in Elkhart County on Monday, September 7, 2026. A buggy passenger was ejected. The crash was reported by 95.3 MNC[1], InkFreeNews[2], and WSBT[3], each citing the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office.
According to 95.3 MNC, the crash happened at about 4:53 p.m. in the 62000 block of State Road 13. A 2016 Chrysler Town and Country driven by Christopher Mills, 51, of Elkhart, was traveling north when it struck the rear of a horse-drawn buggy that was also traveling north. InkFreeNews and WSBT reported the same sequence.
The buggy was operated by Michael Schwartz, 22, of Millersburg, who reported all-over body pain. His passenger, Cynthia Schwartz, 22, also of Millersburg, was ejected and sustained a facial laceration and all-over pain. Mills reported head pain. All three were transported to local hospitals.
The Elkhart County Sheriff's Office investigation is ongoing. No citations or arrests have been reported. The reports did not identify any issue involving lighting, conspicuity, weather, or road conditions. WSBT placed the crash near Middlebury, while 95.3 MNC and InkFreeNews gave the 62000 block of State Road 13 in the Goshen area. The disposition of the horse was not reported.
What you should do after a buggy collision
If you were riding in a buggy struck by a motor vehicle, get appropriate medical care and follow the instructions given by your medical providers. Keep your discharge papers, bills, appointment records, and written work restrictions together. You can also review this practical guide on what information to collect after an Indiana crash.
Identify the investigating agency and obtain the report number. Here, the investigating agency is the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office. The initial account provided to reporters is not the final crash report, and a police report does not decide civil liability. This guide explains how to obtain an Indiana crash report.
Preserve the buggy, the motor vehicle, and available photographs before repairs or disposal. The condition of the buggy's lights, reflective triangle, and reflective tape may become disputed even though no source reported a lighting or conspicuity problem in this crash. Write down what you remember and keep the names and contact information of witnesses. More detail is available in the firm's guide to evidence that may help prove an Indiana crash claim.
Be careful with recorded statements. Insurance companies may aggressively defend fault and coverage questions, and an early statement can be difficult to correct later. Before giving a recorded statement to another party's insurer, you may want to read this Indiana guide to speaking with the other driver's insurance company.
Why location and insurance matter
This crash happened in Elkhart County on a state highway, and the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office is investigating. Most Indiana personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury under Indiana Code 34-11-2-4[4]. A deadline can depend on the claim and the parties involved, so you should not wait until the end of that period to investigate your options.
Indiana Code 34-51-2-6[5] governs comparative fault. An injured person whose fault is greater than 50 percent recovers nothing. Otherwise, any recovery is reduced by that person's percentage of fault. A rear-end crash may raise questions about the following driver's carelessness, but the evidence must be evaluated before fault is assigned. In buggy cases, visibility and lighting may be hotly contested, which makes prompt documentation important.
Indiana requires minimum auto liability limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage under Indiana Code 9-25-4-5[6]. When three people are injured, available coverage can become an immediate issue. Indiana insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under Indiana Code 27-7-5-2[7], and whether it applies depends on the policy and facts. The firm's overview of Indiana minimum auto insurance requirements explains these coverage limits in plain language.
If a governmental entity or roadway condition becomes part of a claim, different notice rules may apply. Indiana Code 34-13-3-8[8] generally requires written notice within 180 days for a claim against a city, county, town, or other political subdivision. Indiana Code 34-13-3-6[9] generally requires notice within 270 days for a claim against the State. No source reported a roadway defect or government involvement in this crash.
How Delventhal Law Office can help
Delventhal Law Office, LLC is a Fort Wayne personal injury law firm founded by attorney Chad E. Delventhal in 2009. The firm can help an injured person obtain records, preserve available evidence, identify potentially applicable insurance policies, and track claim deadlines. If you want to discuss your options, you can request a free case evaluation.
This post is based on public reporting, the investigation may be ongoing, and nothing here is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship.
