An 8-year-old girl is dead after impaired driver rear-ends buggy Wednesday morning

VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. -- Michigan State Police say a crash between an SUV and an Amish buggy resulted in the death of an 8-year-old girl around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of a Ford SUV, a 31-year-old Mattawan woman, was traveling [north] when they rear-ended a buggy carrying two occupants; a 12-year-old boy, who was transported to the hospital in critical condition and an 8-year-old girl, who succumbed to her injuries and pronounced deceased at the hospital," MSP said.

The crash happened on C.R. 215, near 60th Avenue in Lawrence Township.

The driver of the SUV was arrested and lodged at the Van Buren County Jail on charges of Operating Under the Influence of an Unknown Substance. Neither the driver nor her two passengers were injured.

The horse also died as a result of its injuries.

Authorities say seatbelt use is unknown, and the crash remains open pending further investigation.