🚨 Midnight Chaos on SR 218: Jeep Slams Into Amish Buggy, Leaving
What should have been a quiet October night along the dark stretches of State Road 218 instead became a frantic scramble for survival. A rural Indiana roadway — usually silent at that hour — suddenly filled with flashing lights, twisted debris, and emergency crews rushing in from multiple counties.
The collision didn’t just damage a buggy. It tore through an entire community.
Here’s how the night unfolded.
🌙 A Routine Drive Turns Violent
The crash struck just before midnight, at about 11:20 p.m., when darkness is deepest and visibility becomes a challenge on unlit country roads. Moments later, the peaceful farmland of Berne, Indiana, was jolted awake by reports of a devastating impact.
When first responders arrived, they found a scene that told its own story: a buggy torn apart, its fragments scattered across the pavement, and a Jeep lodged in a ditch.
📌 Original Report (Full Text Preserved Exactly as Provided)
BERNE, Indiana — A late-night collision on State Road 218 turned a peaceful rural road into a chaotic emergency scene after a Jeep struck a horse-drawn Amish buggy, throwing nearly everyone out of the vehicle and sending multiple people to hospitals. First responders were called to the crash at about 11:20 p.m. on October 7; when they arrived they found a badly damaged buggy scattered across the pavement and a Jeep in a ditch.
The buggy was carrying nine people at the time of the crash. Local officials say a total of seven people from the buggy were injured and taken for medical care; reports describe six of those occupants as juveniles, though some local accounts list slightly different age breakdowns. The buggy’s driver, 32-year-old Ruben L.M. Schwartz of Berne, was airlifted to Lutheran Hospital. Joseph L.M. Schwartz, 20, and five juvenile passengers were transported by ambulance to Parkview Hospital. Two other passengers — Saraetta L. Schwartz, 32, and a 2-year-old — declined treatment at the scene.
Adams County Sheriff Dan Mawhorr told reporters the Jeep — driven by 33-year-old Bradley J. Ocilka of Burlington, Kentucky — struck the slower-moving buggy from behind while traveling eastbound on SR 218. Ocilka was taken to the hospital for a legal blood draw but declined other medical attention at the scene. At the time of reporting no charges had been filed while the crash remains under investigation.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Adams County EMS, Berne and Geneva police departments, the Berne Fire Department, Wells and Jay County EMS, Indiana State Police, and Lutheran Hospital’s Flight Team. Officials described the scene as chaotic, with first responders working quickly to provide medical treatment and to secure the site
🚑 A Desperate Dash for Medical Care
With nine people riding in the buggy, the aftermath was overwhelming:
- 7 injured
- 6 reported as juveniles
- Multiple transported to different hospitals
- One victim airlifted due to severity
The medical response required coordination across county lines, leading to a multi-agency mobilization rarely seen for a single collision.
Ambulances raced toward Parkview Hospital, while the flight team from Lutheran Hospital swooped in to airlift the critically injured driver.
🚓 What Investigators Know So Far
Authorities say the Jeep, driven by 33-year-old Bradley J. Ocilka, slammed into the back of the buggy while both were traveling eastbound. Because buggies move significantly slower — often below 15 mph — visibility and speed differences can turn deadly.
Ocilka was taken in for a legal blood draw, although he refused additional medical treatment. With no charges filed yet, investigators are piecing together:
- Speed of the Jeep
- Lighting and visibility conditions
- Reflective markings on the buggy
- Driver impairment or distraction
This case remains open.
🔥 A Chaotic Scene Flooded With Responders
Emergency agencies poured in from nearly every direction:
- Adams County EMS
- Berne Police
- Geneva Police
- Berne Fire Department
- Wells County EMS
- Jay County EMS
- Indiana State Police
- Lutheran Flight Team
Their first priority: stabilize the injured. Their second: control a scene filled with debris, frightened horses, and families desperate for answers.
