A 21-year-old driver accused of killing three Girl Scouts and a mother in northwestern Wisconsin is being held on $250,000 bond while he faces charges of vehicular homicide.
Colten Treu made his initial court appearance Monday morning in Chippewa County. Police say Treu had been inhaling chemical vapors before the crash around 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Lake Hallie.
Authorities identified the girls as 9-year-old Jayna Kelley and 10-year-old Autum Helgeson, both of Lake Hallie, and 10-year-old Haylee Hickle, from the Town of Lafayette. Hickle’s mother, 32-year-old mother, Sara Jo Schneider, was also killed. Authorities say another 10-year-old Girl Scout who was injured, but not identified, is hospitalized and in stable condition.
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
The victims were picking up trash in the ditches of County Highway P when they were struck by a pickup truck along the rural highway.
Prosecutors are considering 13 charges against Treu, including four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.
Lake Hallie police say Treu and a passenger in his pickup truck told police they had been intentionally inhaling chemical vapors, or huffing.
Editor’s note: This story was last updated at 12:25 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5, 2018 with information on the court appearance.
© Copyright 2024 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
