A Pottsville man reportedly told police he believes he fell asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle before it crashed into a horse-drawn buggy in Northumberland County Sunday night. Two children died in the crash. Three other occupants of the buggy were seriously injured.
The horse also died in the crash.
State Police at Stonington say the horse-and-buggy was traveling south on Route 225 in Jackson Township just after 8 p.m. Sunday. At the same time, a vehicle driven by John Koperna Jr., 39, of Pottsville, was also headed south on the road behind the horse-and-buggy.
Police believe Koperna’s vehicle rear-ended the buggy, ejecting its six occupants, including at least three children, onto the roadway, shoulder, and down an embankment. A 7-year-old girl in the buggy was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. A 9-year-old boy was rushed by medical helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where he later died.
Ervan Zook, 34, and Leah Zook, 29, of Dornsife, along with a 3-year-old boy, were taken to Geisinger with suspected serious injuries. One buggy passenger, who is not identified by name or age by police, was taken to Geisinger with minor injuries.
Koperna was transported to Geisinger with minor injuries.
The horse pulling the buggy sustained fatal injuries in the crash.
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Fedupconseravtive
October 2, 2025 at 12:59 pm
A complete tragedy all around. God bless that poor Amish family and prayers for the driver who hit them, who has to also live with this the rest of his life.