A Minnesota woman was on Thursday sentenced to four years in prison in connection with a crash that killed two young sisters riding in an Amish buggy in 2023—a crash she allegedly urged her twin sister to take the fall for. Samantha Peterson, who in July pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide and operation under the influence, was also ordered to pay nearly $40,000 in restitution.
The crash occurred at 8:25am on Sept. 25, 2023, near Spring Valley, reports the Post Bulletin. Authorities say Peterson was high on methamphetamine and rear-ended the horse-drawn buggy, killing 7- and 11-year-old girls and injuring two other siblings, ages 9 and 13. Authorities said Peterson had her identical twin, Sarah, come to the crash site and take the blame. CBS News cites Fillmore County deputies who were on the scene as saying Sarah Peterson told them she was the driver and had been using her sister's SUV while her own car was in the shop.
But evidence including cell phone location data led investigators to "determine that, in fact, Samantha was the sister that was coming from Rochester driving southbound at the time of the crash, not Sarah," said Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge, per NBC News. The HR manager of the grocery store where the women worked told police they suspected Sarah was willing to take the fall because Samantha had cared for her kids when she was previously serving time.
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At her sentencing, Peterson addressed the victims' family, saying, "I wish with everything in me that I could go back and change what happened. My addiction took a lot from me, but it took the world from you." Her attorney described the outcome as a "fair sentence." Sarah Petersen was in March sentenced to 90 days in jail under work release for lying to investigators.
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