2017-02-13

MONROE — A crash Friday afternoon that killed three popular high school students and left a 35-year-old woman fighting for her life, has this town of 11,000 in mourning. The students were “similar in that they were all really well-liked kids,” said Monroe High School Principal Chris Medenwaldt, taking a break from a grief session at the school Sunday afternoon. “They had the ability to be friends with anyone.” Meanwhile, a few miles from the school, a parade of vehicles stopped by the crash site to pay respect to the victims.

By noon Sunday, 20 floral bouquets had been laid inside one quadrant of the ordinary-looking rural intersection. The ground was charred and muddy where at least one of the two vehicles involved in the crash came to rest. One of the vehicles was on fire when first responders arrived, the Green County Sheriff’s office said, but it didn’t identify which one.

A young, female volunteer EMT stopped by in her truck and took in the stark scene Sunday. It was the hardest case she’d worked in her three years on the job, she said. “I’ve never had a kid fatality, let alone three,” she said, not wanting to give her name.

Marvin Hardy came by because he said his 20-year-old daughter knew the driver of the car carrying the high school students. He said his daughter, who has developmental disabilities and has had many people in her circle of friends die in the past few years, takes death hard. Hardy wanted to scope things out before bringing her.

In looking through the bouquets, he noticed a can of Busch Lite beer with “Love you buddy” written on it in black marker. “So disrespectful,” he said sadly. Sgt. Britt Gempeler said alcohol wasn’t a factor in the crash and would not say whether inattentive driving was a cause.

The Green County Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Gage P. Noble, 16, of rural Monroe, who died at the scene. His passengers were Anya T.L.

Teasdale, 16, and Joseph T. Wyss, 15, also of Monroe, who were taken by medical helicopter to UW Hospital, where they died Saturday, the Sheriff’s Office said. The crash happened at 2:20 p.m. in the town of Clarno, seven miles south of Monroe.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Gage was driving a sedan west on Melvin Road and failed to stop at a stop sign at Clarno Road and hit a truck that was heading north. The driver of the truck, Jennifer L. Hopkins, 35, of rural Monroe, remained hospitalized in serious condition Sunday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s still hard to believe,” said Michael Teasdale, Anya’s great uncle, who described Anya as “very friendly.” “Unfortunately, kids will be kids and do some stupid things,” he said. Teasdale said his nephew, Anya’s father, who didn’t return a voicemail or text from the State Journal, was “destroyed by the whole thing.”

At the school, a group of Anya’s friends asked permission to decorate her locker as a tribute. They shared a group hug there Sunday and were all in tears as they left remembrances on it. “She was friends with everyone and liked by everyone,” said Amanda Santoro, 16. “She made class fun.

I’ve heard that from a lot of people. She lightened the atmosphere in the room.” Gempeler, of the Sheriff’s Office, said he didn’t know where the students were going.

He said he couldn’t answer whether the car was traveling at a high rate of speed, citing an ongoing investigation. “We empathize with the families of those involved in the crash and throughout the community in this difficult time,” he said. The high school has about 700 students and the three sophomores were known by almost everyone, the principal said. “That’s part of what makes this difficult for a lot of people.”

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The school day normally ends just before 3:30 p.m., but on Friday, the three students were taking advantage of a program called Responsibility Pass, which allows them to leave the building during study hall, Medenwaldt said. He didn’t know where they were going, either. Gage had a role in the school play, “Willy Wonka,” which was supposed to start its run the night of the crash, Medenwaldt said.

The play has been postponed, but no new dates have been set. Joe was a hockey player, who always had a smile on his face, said Jeff Newcomer, the school’s athletic director. “It seemed like he was friends with everybody… He knew everybody and talked to everybody.”

Newcomer said Sunday he could see the image of Joe in this mind, proudly wearing his school colors on game days — a white shirt and red bow tie. “He was a happy-go-lucky kid.” Counselors were available at the school both Saturday and Sunday and will be available again Monday, Medenwaldt said. About 100 students and parents came through over the weekend, he said. “We’re just trying to provide a safe place for kids to be together, which is what they need as much as anything.”

A candlelight vigil was held on the town’s square Saturday night. A GoFundMe account for the three students had raised £7,751 of its £10,000 goal by 6 p.m. Sunday.

The high school student body and community have both been “overwhelmingly supportive,” Medenwaldt said. “We’re not a very big community, so when something happens, everybody comes together and that’s been the case for this.” Hardy, the father who came to the crash memorial to scout it out for his daughter and pay his respects, pointed out that the students had their own fundraising campaign, but the driver of the truck wasn’t getting the same level of attention. “Everybody is doing all this for the kids in the crash, but no one’s saying anything about the woman driving the other car.

She wasn’t in the wrong. That’s what gets me the most. She’s in serious condition…

The three young kids don’t deserve this, but neither did she.”

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