Photo: Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office
A pair of identical twins were arrested, accused of swapping places after a fatal car accident that left two children dead. Authorities in Minnesota said that Samantha Jo Petersen was behind the wheel on September 25, 2023, when she rear-ended an Amish buggy, killing seven-year-old Wilma Miller and 11-year-old Irma Miller. Two other children, ages nine and 13, were hospitalized following the accident.
However, when police arrived, Samantha's twin sister, Sarah Beth Petersen, took responsibility for the crash.
"Sarah was on scene a short time before our first deputy arrived," Sheriff John DeGeorge said last month. "That allowed them to come up with this story where Sarah would take responsibility for the crash and start to mislead the investigation from that very point."
Investigators said that Samantha's driver's license was expired, and she did not have insurance on the car at the time of the crash. In addition, police found evidence that she was under the influence of marijuana and methamphetamine as well.
Samantha is now facing 21 charges, including vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of an accident. Her sister, Sarah, is facing 16 charges, including aiding and abetting and trying to take responsibility for a crime.