Delaware State Police Beat / Robert Eckard charged with killing Amish farmer in buggy crash and fleeing the scene

Delaware State Police Beat / Robert Eckard charged with killing Amish farmer in buggy crash and fleeing the scene

HARTLY, DEL.  – Being charged with hit and run after a crash is nothing new for Robert Eckard. This latest time, Eckard fled after killing a man.

An Amish farmer and his wife who were operating their horse and buggy on Hartly Road were struck by a hit and run driver on Aug. 31, 2017, and the farmer was killed as the operator of the motor vehicle which struck them fled the scene.

Police have now arrested the driver in that fatal hit and run crash.

The Delaware State Police reports that their Collision Reconstruction Unit has arrested Robert H. Eckard, 29, of 1116 Hourglass Road, Hartly, Del., was taken into custody Wednesday September 6, 2017 at his residence by detectives and transported to Troop 3 where he was charged with Leaving the Scene of a Collision Resulting in Death, Failure to Report a Collision Resulting in Death, Failure to Show Proof of Insurance, and Expired Tags.  He was arraigned at JP2 and committed to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center on $7,002.00 cash bond.

The incident occurred around 8:05 p.m. Thursday, August 31, 2017, as Ervin D. Miller, 55 of Hartly, was operating a horse drawn carriage westbound on Halltown Road (SR8) attempting to make a left turn into Royal Farms at the intersection with Hartly Road (SR44).  Robert Eckard was operating a 1997 Chevrolet Lumina eastbound on SR8 and collided with the carriage, ejecting both Miller and his 55-year-old wife into the roadway.  Eckeard then continued eastbound on SR8 without stopping.

Ervin Miller was transported by EMS to Bayhealth Kent General Hospital (KGH) where he was later pronounced dead.  His wife was also transported to KGH where she was treated and has recently been released.

This isn’t the first time Eckard has been involved in a crash where he left the scene.

Eckard entered a guilty plea on Feb. 24, 2014, in Caroline County District Court after being charged by Maryland State Trooper Buckius with failing to locate and notify when involved in an unattended property damage collision. In a plea deal with Caroline States Attorney Jonathan Newell, Eckard was sentenced to 14 days in jail with 10 days suspended and a fine $42.50. Eckard had the services of a taxpayer provided a free attorney, Dana Shaw Boston, in the plea deal.