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Man charged with hit and run involving family of 7 in buggy

A 37-year-old Montgomery man who allegedly slammed his pickup truck into the rear of a horse-drawn buggy with seven family members in it and drove away from the scene on Route 54 Sunday night was jailed Monday following his court arraignment.

“I really, really screwed up,” Christopher Cranmer said to District Judge Christian D. Frey who implored him not to say another word while he was without an attorney. State police listed the incident as his sixth driving under the influence of intoxicants charge, with five prior convictions.

Cranmer allegedly drove a pickup truck with his passenger, Sylviesue Smith, 37, of Muncy, while intoxicated, police said. It was about 9:30 p.m. Sunday when Cranmer’s vehicle collided with the buggy in the 300 block of Route 54 in Clinton Township.

Police arrived to find a mangled horse-drawn buggy and six people requiring transport to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Two were flown by helicopter and the rest were taken by ambulance.

The occupants were Christopher Stoltzfus Fisher, Kathryn Fisher and five juveniles ages, 13, 11, 9, 7 and 5.

A driver behind the truck told troopers he saw the vehicle hit the rear of the buggy and keep going, police said.

A resident saw the truck speed away as the injured Amish family remained, police said.

Cranmer was picked up later that evening at his residence in the borough.

Arraigned before Frey on multiple counts, including aggravation by vehicle while driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injury, tapering with or fabricating physical evidence, driving under suspension, reckless driving and failure to render aid, along with several summary traffic offenses, Cranmer was placed in Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is being scheduled before District Judge Jon Kemp.

According to a nursing supervisor, Kathryn Fisher, 33, is in fair condition along with two of the children. A third child has been treated and released. Christopher Fisher, 34, was not admitted into Geisinger Medical Center. Hospital officials didn’t have records on the other two children.

Sun-Gazette reporter Ioannis Pashakis contributed to this report.

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