Man in critical condition, horse dies after car, buggy crash in Palatine

PALATINE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A man was seriously injured and a horse has died after a car and Amish buggy were involved in a crash in Montgomery County on Thursday. The incident took place on State Highway 10 near Groff Road in the Town of Palatine. At about 5:19 p.m., the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office 911 Dispatch Center received multiple 911 calls reporting a motor vehicle versus Amish buggy crash with a serious injury. Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Deputies and EMS Division responded, along with the Canajoharie Fire Department. When they arrived, deputies located a 77-year-old Palatine man with serious injuries. They also identified the driver of the 2016 Subaru Outback as a 78-year-old woman, who was accompanied by a 16-year-old passenger who sustained minor injuries. The 77-year-old was treated at the scene by members of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office EMS Division before being sent to Albany Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition. The driver of the car and the teen passenger were also treated on scene by the Sheriff's Office EMS Division and were released. A preliminary investigation by the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Unit indicated that the Subaru Outback was traveling southbound on State Highway 10 when she entered a curve near Groff Road. Her vehicle struck the side of the Amish buggy that was towing a hay loader. The Subaru then struck the horse pulling the buggy and hay loader before coming to a rest. The horse sustained severe injuries as a result of the crash. Due to the extent of its injuries, the horse was euthanized by River Valley Veterinary Services. The investigation into the cause of this crash remains active and ongoing. The sheriff's office is asking anyone who traveled through the area shortly before the crash and may have observed either the Subaru Outback or the Amish buggy to contact Investigator Cody Fabian at (518) 853-5527 or [email protected].