PRESTON, Minn. (Court TV) — A Minnesota woman who caused a deadly crash and then lied about driving the vehicle that caused it was sentenced to more than two years in prison.
Samantha Jo Petersen reads a statement in court during her sentencing on Oct. 16, 2025. (Court TV)
Samantha Jo Petersen pleaded guilty to a charge of vehicular homicide as well as a charge of driving under the influence of methamphetamine for the crash that killed two Amish children in September 2023. The crash killed Wilma Miller, 7, and Irma Miller, 11, and injured the girls’ 9-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister.
Samantha was driving the vehicle that crashed into the horse-drawn buggy taking the children to school, but initially lied to police and said her sister, Sarah Beth Petersen, was behind the wheel. Sarah cooperated with the story in an effort to protect her sister.
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Samantha’s attorney had requested a downward departure from the sentence outlined in their plea agreement, citing her work in achieving sobriety. “I have rarely seen a defendant this remorseful,” Samantha’s attorney, Carson Heefner, told the Court.
“I need you to know how truly deeply sorry I am,” Samantha said in a tearful address to the Court. “I think about it every single day and I know I will carry that weight for the rest of my life. There are no excuses for my actions that morning. Every day I wish I could go back and make a different choice. My addiction took a lot from me, but it took your world from you, and for that, I will never be able to forgive myself. Every day, I wish it would have been me instead of them.”
Prosecutors opposed any downward departure, citing Samantha’s criminal history and accusing her of having remorse for herself, “rather than these children.”
Judge Jeremy Clinefelter said he believed Samantha’s remorse was genuine and commended her for achieving sobriety, but ultimately said he would not deviate from the plea agreement. “I won’t want to minimize the hard work that you’ve done,” Clinefelter told Samantha. “You’ve done tremendous work…and nothing about this sentence takes that away.”
Samantha was sentenced to 48 months in prison; under state guidelines, she must serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before she is eligible for parole. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $39,527.73.
Sarah was sentenced to no more than six months in jail in March after she pleaded guilty to pretending to be Samantha after the crash.
