One Petersen twin pleads guilty in fatal crash with Amish buggy
(ABC 6 News) – One Petersen twin pleaded guilty to taking responsibility for a September 2023 crash that killed two children.
Sarah Beth Petersen pleaded guilty to two counts of taking responsibility for criminal acts–great bodily harm, any amount of schedule 1 or 2 substance in body.
Sarah Beth Petersen originally faced 16 charges for telling Fillmore County law enforcement that she, not her identical twin sister, had caused the crash that killed two children in an Amish buggy on County Road 1.
RELATED: One year since fatal Amish buggy crash in Fillmore County – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Later, law enforcement learned that Samantha Jo Petersen had allegedly caused the crash and had methamphetamine in her system.
Sarah Petersen’s sentencing is scheduled for March 31.
“She did not harm these children. She did not hit them with the vehicle. She acknowledged in court today that she made some mistakes out of concern for her sister that she shouldn’t have done. She regrets that,” Petersen’s attorney Dan McIntosh said.
The details of her plea agreement were not immediately available. Sarah Petersen and attorneys spent about 90 minutes negotiating the plea agreement Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Fillmore County attorney Brett Corson declined to comment on their way out of the courtroom.
Petersen’s likely sentence was left unclear Tuesday, as was the question of whether she would testify in her sister’s trial.
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(ABC 6 News) – UPDATE: Samantha Jo Petersen’s trial is scheduled for July 14.
Petersen is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing June 10.
Petersen appeared in court Thursday, Jan. 23, on 17 charges related to a County Road 1 crash that killed two Amish children.
“As in all criminal cases, we continue to talk about this case to make sure we have exchanged all information and to continue to discuss a possible resolution,” Fillmore County attorney Brett Corson said in an email.
In December, Fillmore County judge Jeremy Clinefelter dismissed four additional charges related to Samantha Jo Petersen’s alleged THC use before the crash.
The 17 remaining charges include six counts of criminal vehicular homicide and six counts of criminal vehicular operation, plus assorted DWI and other traffic charges.
RELATED: One year since fatal Amish buggy crash in Fillmore County – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
Sarah Beth Petersen’s settlement hearing is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Feb 4. The second Petersen twin is accused of switching places with Samantha Jo Petersen and taking responsibility for the crash to mislead law enforcement.
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(ABC 6 News) – One Petersen twin’s settlement hearing may be pushed back, pending a resolution of her criminal case.
Sarah Beth Peterson faces 16 felony charges, including four charges of taking responsibility for a criminal act, after allegedly switching places with twin sister Samantha Petersen following a September 2023 crash that killed two children.
RELATED: Second Petersen twin charged following fatal buggy crash – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
On Thursday, Dec. 5, Fillmore county attorney Brett Corson filed a motion to continue, or push back the hearing date based on the following reason:
“Being close to a resolution of the case and working out some details for the Settlement.”
Sarah Petersen was scheduled to appear in Fillmore County Court for a settlement conference Monday, Dec. 9.
RELATED: Sarah Petersen appears in court today
The hearing had not been rescheduled by Thursday afternoon.
Samantha Jo Petersen, the twin accused of driving the car and causing the fatal crash, recently filed motions to dismiss all of her charges related to drug use or intoxication while driving.
Samantha Petersen’s next hearing has not been scheduled.