MERRILLAN, Wis. – Seven members of an extended Amish family from Virginia were among fatal victims of a van and a milk truck collision Friday. In all, nine people died. These included both drivers. Without explanation Clark County Sheriff Scott Haines refused to release the names of the victims. However, the names circulated quickly among Amish people in western Virginia:
> James McCoy, about 45. of Pounding Mill, Virginia, who had been hired to drive the Amish group to Wisconsin
> Linda Byler, 44, of the Amish community near Burke’s Garden in Tazewell County, Virginia
> Lydia Byler, 24, a daughter of Linda Byler
> Ellen Schrock, 23, a second daughter of Linda. Byler.
> Orlah Schrock, 24, husband. of Ellen Schrock.
> Judy Rose Schrock, 6 months old, daughter of Ellen and Orlah Schrock.
> Delilah Schrock, 21, sister of Orlah Schrock.
> Suzanna Hertzler, 18.
The only survivor was an Amish by on the van. He was rescued before vehicle burst onto flames. He was taken to a hospital in Chippewa Falls. The Amish were from a religious community near Burke’s Garden in Tazewell County, Virginia. They were 900 miles into a trip to a religious gahering in Stillwater, Minnesota. The accident was about 7:50 a.m. Police said the van was on County Road J, east of Merrillan. The van crossed into the path of the truck pulling a semi-trailer of milk. The truck was east-bound on State Highway 95, the Amish van north-bound on J.
Earlier: Nine die in truck-van crash on Wisconsin Highway 95
Accident databank
With nine deaths the Merrillan accident was one of the worst in Wisconsin history.
2002: Ten people died in a 45-vehicle pileup in the fig in Sheboygan County.
1937: Nine people died in a crash in 1937 in Manitowoc County.