Woman crushed between shuttle buses in Chester describes 'tragedy'

CHESTER TWP. - Donations for funeral expenses were pouring into an online fundraiser for the family of a 2-year-old girl who was killed Sunday at Alstede Farms in Chester Township when two shuttle buses collided in a parking field of the popular site on Route 24.

The child, identified by a family friend as Elizabeth Fuehring, was with her mother, Sarah Fuehring, six-year-old brother Jayden, and friends at Alstede Farms when she was trapped between two shuttle buses, one of which rear-ended the other around 4:40 p.m. Sunday.

UPDATE: Morris prosecutor rules Alstede Farms death an accident http://dailyre.co/1w9qvSY

Sarah Fuehring, who is in her 20s, suffered serious damage to her femur and is a patient at Morristown Medical Center. On Monday night, a spokesperson for the center said her condition is "good."

Her friend, Joanna Alemany, told the Daily Record Monday night that she, too, was caught between the shuttles and is readying to have surgery for a shattered pelvis at Morristown Medical Center Tuesday morning. Only little Elizabeth was airlifted, said Alemany, who added both she and Sarah Fuehring, who both brought their children out for a fun fall day, were taken from the scene in ambulances.

"We were pinned between the vehicles. There was no collision," Alemany said. "It crushed Sarah's femur and it crushed my pelvis. We saw it was crowded and we didn't get to enjoy anything, so we were leaving. Then Sarah and I were laying on the ground together. We couldn't move. We were reaching to each other but couldn't reach each other.

"I cannot close my eyes without seeing it happen again and again," she added. "I keep seeing Sarah's face when she realized. My heart is so broken."

Alemany said her 6-year-old daughter, Sofia, who is friends with Jayden Fuehring, saw the whole thing. Sofia, who was moving toward Jayden at the time the two mothers and Elizabeth were struck, was hit but just grazed. Her 2-year-old son, Gabriel, escaped injury.

"I believe my son was saved because he was in his stroller," said Alemany, who is distressed her daughter watched the whole incident unfold. She said Good Samaritans in the crowd stayed with her and Fuehring and watched over the children.

The two mothers have rooms across the hall from one another at the hospital, according to Alemany, and visitors are carrying messages between them.

"It could have been avoided," Alemany said. "This is a tragedy. This claimed the life of an innocent little girl."

Fuehring family friend Heather Riegler started the online fundraiser with a goal of $7,000 for the funeral of Elizabeth Fuehring at gofundme.com/ellafuehring. Donations were at $29,000 Tuesday morning, .

Riegler said the family is grieving and arrangements have not yet been made for Elizabeth. She said that the little girl's father, Kenny Fuehring, was at the hospital to console Sarah, who has begun physical therapy on her fractured femur.

"Elizabeth was taken from us far sooner than she should have been," the site said. "At just 2 1/2 years old, Ella was enjoying a day out at the farm when tragedy struck and she was hit by a shuttle bus along with her mother and a few friends. She passed instantly and her mother, Sarah Fuehring, was rushed into surgery with a broken femur. The Fuehring family is heartbroken and doesn't need the extra burden of scraping together funds for funeral expenses. Any donation is greatly appreciated. Please help us give Elizabeth the funeral she deserves."

Riegler said the family is grieving so she declined to comment further.

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office confirmed that a child was killed at Alstede Farms and that two other people were injured but declined to release additional details while an investigation is underway.

Chester Township Mayor William Cogger said the shuttle buses were in an Alstede Farms parking lot about 4:30 p.m., preparing to leave the property on a road reserved for shuttle buses when one bus rear-ended the other and people were crushed between the vehicles.

Alstede Farms, a popular fall destination on Route 513, across from Chubb Park, was packed with visitors for 31st Annual Chester Harvest Fest on a crisp, sunny day.

The two-day Harvest Fest, sponsored by Chester Historic Business Association, included special events along Main Street. Pumpkin picking and hayrides at Alstede's were part of the festivities.

Throughout Main Street in the borough and at the Chester Shopping Center, banners and signs advertised free parking at the shopping center and free shuttle service to the Harvest Fest, which featured pumpkin picking and other events at the farm, according to the website of the Chester Historic Business Association, a not-for-profit entity of merchants who promote business and attractions to the area.

The buses were funded by Alstede Farms, the Streets of Chester civic organization and the Chester Historic Business Association. Association President Kathy Barbieri declined comment Monday. Association Recording Secretary Steve Jones said the group hasn't met to discuss the tragedy. The shuttle buses, he said, included one from a Sparta firm and another "I Love Chester Express" bus but he was not certain of the exact ownership of that bus.

Chester Borough merchant Maria Solano, owner of a bakery and coffee shop, said the traffic by Alstede's has spiraled out of control in the past few years during special events.

"It's almost like Disneyland now," she said. "When a life is taken over picking a pumpkin something's got to be done."

Bill Asdal, who lives adjacent to Alstede Farms, said he has objected multiple times in writing to township officials regarding the fact that the farm is allowed to use two residential-zoned lots for parking.

"The big issue there is zoning enforcement," Asdal said. "There's a long history of small accidents there, congestion, and misuse of zoning."

Cogger said the farm owners did have extra police on hand. He said the township has no control on what occurs within the property, as it is governed by state and Morris County Board of Agriculture regulations.

"The central issue here is the unfortunate death of a child," Cogger said.

Alstede Farms was open Monday morning, the day after the accident.

Farm employees issued a statement that read: "The Alstede family and staff grieve and mourn for the families impacted by the motor vehicle accident that occurred on Sunday October 12, 2014. Our sincere prayers and heartfelt thoughts are extended to everyone involved."

In the statement, the family said that they could not comment further, since there is an ongoing investigation of the accident.

The fact that Alstede Farms reopened Monday "as if nothing had happened there" angered Alemany, who acknowledged the expression of sympathy on the farm's website but said she had heard nothing from the family.

"They did not send flowers. They did not send a card," she said. "What good is their statement?"

Staff Writers Lorraine Ash: 973-428-6660; lash@dailyrecord.com; Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@dailyrecord.com