By Zech Sindt
Sarah Beth Petersen has pleaded guilty to aiding an offender in connection with a September 2023 crash that killed two Amish children and seriously injured two other children.
Sarah Beth Petersen, 36, admitted in court that she falsely claimed responsibility for the accident to protect her twin sister, Samantha Petersen, who was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the collision.
Emergency responders were called to County Road 1 near Sumner Center Church on the morning of September 25, 2023, after reports of a crash involving an Amish buggy. When law enforcement arrived, they found a heavily damaged silver SUV parked along the shoulder of the road and an overturned Amish buggy in the ditch. Several children were lying on the ground and in the ditch. An 11-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were pronounced dead at the scene. A 9-year-old boy suffered critical injuries, including a fractured shoulder, internal bleeding, and a concussion, while a 13-year-old sustained facial trauma.
At the crash site, Sarah Petersen told law enforcement that she had been driving the SUV and struck the buggy. She stated she was on her way home from Rochester after picking up her paycheck and paying a utility bill. She claimed she did not see the buggy in time to stop. However, discrepancies in her statements and witness accounts raised suspicions.
A man who arrived at the scene shortly after the crash described seeing two blonde women, one wearing a black Hy-Vee employee uniform. Another witness recalled seeing one of the women flailing her arms and yelling while on the phone. Squad car video footage later showed Sarah and Samantha Petersen at the crash scene, but by that time, Samantha had changed from her red Hy-Vee shirt into a black tank top.
Investigators obtained security footage from the Rochester Hy-Vee, where Samantha Petersen worked as a baker. Video showed her clocking out at 7:47 a.m. and leaving in the silver SUV at 8:02 a.m. Cell phone location data placed Samantha’s phone at the crash site at 8:23 a.m. When officers reviewed 911 call logs, they discovered the call reporting the accident came from Samantha Petersen’s phone.
A recorded conversation between the sisters, captured while Sarah Petersen sat in a squad car, showed Sarah telling Samantha, “I think one of the guys is onto me, but I don’t really care… there’s no way they would ever know the difference between the two of us, so they can’t tell.” Investigators later recovered text messages Samantha sent to her employer in which she stated, “I just killed two Amish people … I’m not sober.” Another message to an acquaintance read, “I hit that Amish buggy and killed two people. Made Sarah come and take the fall for it so I wouldn’t go to prison.”
On September 26, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Sarah Petersen’s residence in Spring Valley. When deputies arrived, Sarah told them that Samantha no longer lived there, but officers later found Samantha hiding inside the home. A search of Samantha’s phone revealed Google searches related to the legal consequences of hitting and killing people with a vehicle, including “What happens if you get in an accident with an Amish buggy and kill two people?” and, “How to lock an iPhone cops have.” A blood test later confirmed that Samantha had methamphetamine, amphetamine, and THC in her system at the time of the crash.
Sarah Petersen was charged with multiple felony counts, including aiding an offender, obstructing an investigation, and taking responsibility for criminal acts. On February 4, 2025, she pleaded guilty in Fillmore County District Court to two counts of aiding an offender in criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm.
Court records show that Sarah Petersen has a prior federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. In January 2022, she was sentenced in federal court for her role in distributing methamphetamine and was on parole at the time of the buggy crash. Investigators noted that Sarah’s decision to take the blame for the crash may have been influenced by the fact that Samantha had cared for Sarah’s children while she was incarcerated.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Sarah Petersen will receive a stayed sentence of 14 months on one charge and 19.5 months on the other. She will serve up to four years on probation, complete a chemical use assessment, and remain law-abiding. The state has agreed to cap jail time at six months, but Petersen will have the opportunity to argue for a lesser sentence at her final hearing. If she violates probation, she could be required to serve up to 19.5 months in prison.
Her sentencing is scheduled for March 31, 2025, before Judge Jeremy Clinefelter in Fillmore County District Court. At the hearing, prosecutors will recommend probation with some jail time, while Petersen’s defense is expected to argue for little to no incarceration. The final decision will be left to the court.
Anonymous says
What a joke. This should have more consequences. She knew what she was doing, these two are rotten to the core!