Three Girl Scouts, One Adult Killed In Wisconsin Hit-And-Run

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Four People Killed By Hit-And-Run In Wisconsin

Wisconsin authorities are currently investigating a fatal hit-and-run, which claimed the lives of three Girl Scouts and one adult.

According to reports from the Star Tribune, the crash happened on Saturday morning in the western town of Lake Hallie. The victims were reportedly picking up trash along a county road when a Ford F-150 pickup truck came and struck them. Law enforcement says the driver—21-year-old Colton Treu—hit the group after accidentally veering off the road. He fled the scene immediately after the collision but has since turned himself in.

A fourth Girl Scout, who was also struck by the vehicle on Saturday morning, remained in critical condition Saturday night.

The Star Tribune reports that the child victims were all fourth-graders at Halmstad Elementary School in Chippewa Falls. They were said to be part of a larger group that had volunteered to pick up litter near the road.

A Lake Hallie resident who lives near the crash site said he saw about 10 of the girls walking outside wearing lime-green safety vests; shortly after he initially spotted the children, he noticed emergency vehicles heading down that same road. “All hell broke loose,” said the man, who did not want to be identified and declined to give his full name. “This intersection is just terrible. It’s dangerous. People come flying over the hill.”

Sgt. Daniel Sokup of the Lake Hallie Police Department told the Associated Press that Treu will be charged with four counts of homicide through the negligent use of a vehicle.

The Lake Hallie police are leading the investigation, with assistance from Chippewa County deputies and Chippewa Falls police.