A group of Girl Scouts, along with a woman, who were alongside a rural Wisconsin road picking up trash were hit by the driver of a pickup truck, who then fled the scene of the accident. Three Girl Scouts and the woman died because of the accident, while another Girl Scout was critically injured. The driver eventually surrendered to authorities.
This story has attracted the attention of the national news media and also prompted an outpouring of sympathy and support, including a message from the national Girl Scouts of the USA.
According to police, the pickup truck crossed the oncoming lane of traffic and went off the road into the ditch where the Girl Scouts and the woman, who was the mom of one of the Girl Scouts who also died, were working.
Why the truck left the road in the first place is not clear. However, police indicate that the driver, who is a 21-year-old man, was huffing, that is, sniffing chemicals in order to get high, just before the accident. He now faces multiple criminal charges, including homicide charges and charges related to hit-and-run.
In the upcoming days and weeks, there will no doubt be additional investigation into this accident. In the meantime, though, there are several Wisconsin families who are going to have to figure how to put their lives back together after what seems to have been an entirely preventable accident.
This tragedy only goes to show yet another time how risky drugged or drunk driving can be. In addition to criminal penalties, this man may be held accountable for his action through a wrongful death or personal injury lawsuit from the families of those who died or were hurt. In case he does not have enough insurance to pay compensation, though, the victims may have to draw on other sources of recovery. This can be accomplished with the help of Wisconsin car accident injury attorneys.