Amish Teen Led Cops on Horse and Buggy Chase, Say Police

By: Carlin DeGuerin Miller
Topics: Daily Blotter

Amish Teen Levi Detweiler Led Cops on Horse and Buggy Chase, Say Police

17-year-old Amish teen Levi Detweiler. (Cattaraugus County Sheriffs Office)

LEON, N.Y. (CBS/AP) Levi Detweiler, a 17-year-old Amish youth, allegedly led sheriff's deputies on a mile-long, presumably low-speed chase, after running a stop sign in his horse and buggy and refusing to pull over.

Do they train for this at the police academy?

Deputies said they spotted Detweiler ignoring the stop sign last week. According to police, the teen then led them on a chase that ended when he lost control on a sharp turn into a driveway and overturned the buggy into a ditch. He then fled on foot.

Two other Amish men later helped the deputies free the horse and pull the buggy from the ditch.

No word on whether the horse was a white Bronco.

The Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office said that after a week-long investigation they have arrested and charged Detweiler with underage possession of alcohol, overdriving an animal, reckless endangerment, failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.

The Amish teen was arrested, charged and is being held on $500 bond at the Cattaraugus County Jail.

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by exAmish July 25, 2010 3:56 PM EDT

The human being is made up of three things, Spirit, Body and Soul. To be ?truly? healthy each part MUST be fed. The Spirit needs revelation, the Body needs food, and the Soul needs acceptance. The picture of Levi Detweiler reveals a lot about this boy. It reveals a troubled youth whose soul is NOT being fed. It reveals what a life under strict LAW does.
History will repeat as long as man does not come to the knowledge of understanding and realize that good works does not produce freedom because man WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO KEEP THE LAW. GOD?S law OR Mans law! As we see here, he broke BOTH!

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by that2guy September 7, 2010 5:57 AM EDT: What about the thousands of other Amish people that are doing just fine with the law?


by tinyoak February 13, 2011 7:57 PM EST: It is Ironic that you would say under strict law and the preach about god and man's law...they actually follow and obey the bible to the letter. Even more so than "outsiders". They don't just recite the 10 commandments on sunday and then break every single one during the week like the majority of christians do. If it says Judge not lest ye be judged, they obey....the same can't be said for non-Amish...they judge, covet, bear false witness, commit adultry, etc etc etc all the time, thinking a cookie on Sunday forgives all. The Amish don't see it that way...a sin is a sin and punishment is due for whatever sin it is and no cookie, bagel, or ho ho will make it all happy again. Atonement must be paid....it's kind of refreshing that some actually practice what they preach.


by koeyjay July 22, 2010 11:14 PM EDT: Overdriving an animal? They charged him with overdriving an animal? Who's the police chief? Paul Watson?; Reply to this comment


by c05m0 July 22, 2010 12:13 PM EDT: hahaha you are all missing the best part. "No word on whether the horse was a white Bronco." ahaha; Reply to this comment


by elizabeth2010 July 22, 2010 12:12 PM EDT: I don't blame this kid one bit. He is living a life that has been chosen for him and it must feel incredibly oppressive. It would drive me to drink too... or in his case, horse and buggy him to drink. Those cops obviously need to re-evaluate their priorities, what a total waste of taxpayers money.; Reply to this comment


by david78rhoda July 21, 2010 10:59 PM EDT: Before you criticize the authorities, please try to envision a police-less America.
I was raised Amish (no longer) and appreciate the forbearance and efforts of the authorities in regards to cultures that are hard for a watching world to understand.
Again, before you criticize, please also consider the response of the authorities to such tragedies as the Amish school shooting in Nickel Mines PA.
From a Christian perspective, I suggest Romans 13.; Reply to this comment


by kreider35 July 20, 2010 12:10 PM EDT: Leave the kid alone? Are you serious? Would you say that if it was a car? Obviously most of you do not live near an Amish community and do not understand how dangerous this situation could of been! Please don't comment on things you DO NOT know anything about!; Reply to this comment


by osupsc July 20, 2010 11:47 AM EDT: First I am what the Amish refer to as "English". And I grew up and still live an area with a very large Amish community. Driving a buggy drunk and running a stop sign is a big deal. If you were driving a car through that intersection and a buggy runs the stop sign right in front your car; what do you think happens. Someone gets hurt and horses are hurt (often the horse put down right there on the road). In addition, if the drunken buggy driver passes out while driving, many times the horse just keeps going through traffic, the horse may or not may stay in its lane, and it cannot "read" signs or traffic lights so it ignores those too. Even better the horse may sense it is close to home and go like heck to get to it's barn. I have witness buggy vs car accidents and it is ugly site. Also the young man will be in a bigger world of hurt when he get home. Amish families do not use "an English timeout" to get their children in line. And he has to deal with his Amish Church community.; Reply to this comment

by jtdev1 July 20, 2010 11:39 AM EDT

What ever happened to good old Common Sense???

I remember the days when cops would give you a strict warning and scare the c r a p out of you, then send you home.

Now they want to tac on as many "Offenses" as they can and make sure you have a felony record for life. They are trained to do it.

Suprised they didn't pistol whip him.

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by newsterI July 21, 2010 12:10 PM EDT: Yeah, like the driver of a big rig who was choking on some pork rinds and lost control and wrecked the rig. To add insult to all that the cops gave him a ticket for some BS fine for his wheels running off the pavement. Guy wrecked a $150,000 rig and likely lost his job, and they give him a freaking ticket.
The guy was CHOKING to death that was why he lost control.


by FineWhine July 29, 2010 7:48 PM EDT: I think common sense and the odds of this kid (Amish OR English lol) went out the window when he not only didn't stop for the police, but crashed the buggy and RAN!! I'd bet if he stopped, was polite and not sooo drunk the officer felt he couldn't get home safely, he likely would have been given that strict warning.

As for tacking on so many offenses, think if someone had done this in a car...ran a light, crashed, left the vehicle broken and stranded and fled the scene??? Just cause it's a horse and buggy, doesn't make it better. And as one who has spent MUCH time in PA Amish country, I know how dangerous a situation that could have been to many on the roads. Sounds fair to me. Pity the kid just didn't stop!


by myopinionpal July 20, 2010 11:29 AM EDT: This will make The Wildest Police Chase video series.; Reply to this comment

by m-bosha July 20, 2010 10:48 AM EDT

Those ****** cops should have know better than to chase a horse with a squad car. Not saying the kid didn't do anything wrong, but, come on.

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by janeyre-2009 July 22, 2010 2:25 PM EDT: That's what I thought m-bosha... Wouldn't that spook the horses? Otherwise, the kid is wrong for driving drunk. Regardless of type of transportation.