Investigation Continues in Death of Toddler at Alstede Farms

Two days after a 2-year-old was killed at Alstede Farms in Chester Township, the joint investigation between local police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office continues.

On Sunday, just after 4:30 p.m., visitors to the business were walking between two shuttle buses when the vehicles collided, trapping Sarah Fuehring and her daughter, Elizabeth. As a result, the 2-year-old Elizabeth died, and Sarah Fuehring suffered a broken femur.

Multiple ambulances and a helicopter were needed for transportation to local medical centers. While authorities have only confirmed the death of a child and have not released the name or age, friends of the Fuehring family created a GoFundMe page to help curtail the cost of Elizabeth’s funeral, stating on the site the toddler was the victim of the incident.

Alstede Farms reopened Monday, Columbus Day, at 10 a.m. and served a full lot yet again. Traffic on county roadway 513 was backed up in each direction during the lunch hour for approximately half a mile.

The Alstede family released a statement early Monday morning, expressing its condolences to the victims of the crash, stating:

“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.”

Chester Township’s mayor, Bill Cogger, said Sunday night after the crash that not only was the volume of visitors at Alstede Farms an accident waiting to happen, but the town’s hands were tied when it came to regulating business’s capacity.

Because Alstede Farms is protected by the Right to Farm Act, which enables farmers who generate annual revenues of $10,000 or more to use the land for more than produce harvesting, there are often non-farm attractions including inflatable bounce houses and horseback rides.

But a longtime member of the county’s agricultural board, Bill Roehrich, a committeeman in neighboring Washington Township, said it may be time for Right to Farm officials to make a change.

“Does [Right to Farm Act] need to be reviewed? Yes, it does,” Roehrich told Patch on Monday. “We need to give farmers an opportunity to have a business, but protection for the people needs to be there.”

Patch will update the details of the investigation once it has more information.

See All of Patch’s Coverage of the Alstede Farm Tragedy:

• UPDATE: One Dead, Several Injured in Alstede Farms Car Crash, Prosecutor Says
• UPDATE: Girl, 2, Died In Tragic Alstede Farm Crash While ‘Enjoying The Day;’ 2 Adults Injured
• Father of Toddler Killed at Alstede Farms: ‘I Lost a Piece of Me’
• Readers React, Lash Out at Farmer After Toddler Killed By Shuttle Bus
• Sadness, But No Surprise in Wake of Fatal Crash at Alstede’s

Curious about how our new commenting platform, Disqus, works? Learn more about it here and start interacting with your neighbors on Patch.