During cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney David Lett, Terry said although Cameron was not drinking now and completed treatment at Samaritan Center, he did not receive any grief counseling or continued counseling.

Ashley Wagler, Swartzentruber’s fiancee, said Swartzentruber admitted to her that he hit the Knepps. They plan to marry after Swartzentruber is finished with his sentence and said he has changed since the accident.

“I saw the family he had hit and I saw him and he was crying and he said he hit them,” Wagler said crying. “That’s all he said over and over and he waited with them until an ambulance came.”

Darla Swartzentruber, Cameron’s mother, testified that when she came on the scene of the accident, Cameron said: “Mommy, I am so sorry, but I got the babies all out and I was holding them until the ambulance got there.

“In his impaired state, he was trying to do the right thing, even though he made an awful choice,” Darla said.

While on the stand, Cameron Swartzentruber said he did remember pulling a boy, Joshua, from underneath his truck after the accident. Joshua sustained two broken legs. Swartzentruber did not remember what he said to his mother.

Also shared by several witnesses Wednesday was the practice in Daviess County known as “Amish Parties,” where as many 100 youths drink, use drugs and then drive home. Swartzentruber said he has visited those parties since he was 16 and would drink every weekend. He also said he experimented with marijuana and methamphetamine.

During Darla’s testimony, Swartzentruber, a Mennonite, expressed an interest in talking to Amish and Mennonite schools about alcohol.

“Mom, that’s the way they’ve always done it,” Cameron said to Darla. “They don’t know anything else with that problem.”

Before Cameron Swartzentruber came on the stand, Enos Knepp testified. A member of the Old Order Amish, he cried as he walked to the stand and said all he remembered about the crash is waking up 50 feet from his buggy.

He said he forgave Swartzentruber for the death of his wife and the injuries to his children. Members of his family were in the courtroom with Knepp. Swartzentruber and the Knepp family have talked on numerous occasions.

“Things like this happen for a reason,” Knepp said. “If something like this could help a person make a right decision, (the death) would be easier to accept.

“If I was guessing, Cameron’s punished every day for this. I don’t know if jail can help him if there isn’t a rehab program.”

During cross-examination, Knepp asked for no restitution from Swartzentruber. Sobecki, as part of procedure, asked Knepp if he had a statement for the court as the victim of the crime. Knepp declined.

Swartzentruber then came on the stand. He said his drinking problem started by attending the Amish Parties and he figured he had a problem by the time he was 21. He also said he knew getting in his Toyota Tundra that night while drunk was wrong, but figured the most he would have to worry about was getting pulled over.