A nine-year-old girl from the Amish community in Pennsylvania tragically lost her life following an unfortunate incident on a Salisbury Township farm, in Lancaster County, where she was dragged by a horse. The shocking event, which took place on the morning of Tuesday, June 25, 2024, has sent waves of disbelief through the local community.

The young girl, Anna King, was in the process of training the horse at the time of the incident. According to Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, the Lancaster County Coroner, “She had a lead wrapped around her wrist when the horse became spooked and took off, dragging her about a quarter of a mile.”

Diamantoni further explained, “She was taken to Lancaster General Hospital, where she later died from multiple traumatic injuries.” The coroner’s office concluded that her death was due to these injuries, and classified it as an accident.

This marks the second time in June a young member of the Amish community in Lancaster County lost their life in a farm-related accident. Last month, a three-year-old boy from Christiana was killed in a barn accident on June 3 involving ventilation machinery.

As reported by Lancaster Newspapers/LancasterOnline, Lancaster County has the highest number of farm-related fatalities in Pennsylvania, with children frequently being the victims. Since 2000, the county has seen an annual rate of one to seven farm-related deaths, predominantly involving children.

The report also highlighted that, from 2016 onwards, children aged five or younger accounted for 13 of the 25 farm-related deaths reported by Lancaster newspapers. Teenagers and young children made up an additional six fatalities during this period.

As the investigation into this recent incident is ongoing, it is expected that the community in Lancaster County will rally to support the bereaved family and commemorate the young Amish girl whose life was tragically cut short. Anna is survived by her parents, Ivan and Mary King, five brothers, and three grandparents.