Samantha Jo Petersen has pleaded guilty to two felony charges stemming from a September 2023 crash that killed two Amish children and seriously injured two others. The crash occurred north of Spring Valley on County Road 1 when Petersen drove her SUV into the back of a horse-drawn buggy.
In a written petition filed June 11 in Fillmore County District Court, Petersen, 35, admitted she had used methamphetamine prior to the crash and that her impairment directly caused the deadly collision. She pleaded guilty to Criminal Vehicular Homicide – Negligence and Under the Influence, and Criminal Vehicular Operation – Great Bodily Harm While Under the Influence.
“I knew it was methamphetamine that I consumed, knew that it was illegal … and knew it would cause me to be impaired,” Petersen wrote. “By driving under the influence and not paying attention to the road or other traffic, I caused an accident that directly resulted in the death and injury to others.”
The incident occurred on the morning of September 25, 2023. According to court records and earlier testimony, Petersen was traveling between 63 and 71 mph in a 55-mph zone. She failed to slow down in time to avoid the buggy, which was carrying four children. Two of the children were pronounced dead at the scene. The other two suffered serious injuries.
Toxicology results later confirmed methamphetamine in Petersen’s system. She also allegedly admitted to being high during a phone call to her employer, saying, “I just killed two Amish kids. I’m not sober.”
In exchange for her guilty plea, the state will dismiss the remaining 19 charges, which include multiple counts of vehicular homicide, driving while impaired, and leaving the scene of a crash. However, the plea deal allows Petersen to argue for a mitigated sentence. If granted by the court, she would serve 364 days in the Fillmore County Jail with work release eligibility. If denied, she faces up to 71 months in prison; 48 months for the homicide charge and 23 months for the operation charge, served concurrently.
Judge Jeremy Clinefelter will determine her sentence at a hearing scheduled for September 29, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in Preston.
As previously reported by the Fillmore County Journal, Petersen attempted to conceal her role in the crash by calling her twin sister, Sarah Petersen, to the scene. Sarah initially told a Fillmore County deputy she was the driver, but a recorded conversation between the sisters in a squad car revealed the deception. In the recording, Samantha reportedly acknowledged the officers were “on to me” and discussed how their physical similarity could help obscure her identity.
Sarah Petersen later pleaded guilty to aiding an offender in connection with the cover-up.
Samantha Petersen has been released under strict conditional terms. She must remain law-abiding, abstain from drugs and alcohol, avoid establishments that sell them, and submit to random chemical testing. She is also under pretrial supervision through Fillmore County Community Corrections and may not leave the state without court approval.
Barb says
What was her sentence Sept 29 2025?