Man Accused of Hitting Amish Buggy Appears in Taylor County Court

Tuesday, November 30th, 2021 -- 12:00 PM

The man accused of hitting an amish buggy in Taylor County appeared in court on Monday.

According to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Department, a crash occurred on County Highway E in the Town of Little Black around 2:45pm the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The initial investigation determined that the buggy was heading north on County Highway E.

A vehicle, driven by 35-year-old Skyler Opelt of Medford, was also traveling north and came up behind the buggy and rear-ended it. Ten people were in the buggy and nine of them were injured.

Of the nine, eight required medical transport for treatment. The injuries were mostly among children, but their mother was seriously injured and she passed away from her injuries.

Opelt is facing charges of operating a vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance and homicide by negligent use of a vehicle. A $100,000 bond was set against him and he’ll be back in court on January 4th.

A fund has been set up at Abby Bank to help the family involved in the accident. Donations can be made at their locations in Medford, Abbotsford, Wausau, Weston, Appleton, Gresham, and Shawano.

A fund has also been set up at Prevail Bank and donations can be made at any of their locations.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.