A western Wisconsin community on Sunday was grieving the deaths of three Girl Scouts and a parent who were collecting trash along a rural highway when police say a pickup truck veered off the road and hit them before speeding away.
Authorities have not released the names of the girls or the woman who were struck by the truck Saturday in Lake Hallie, or the name of a fourth girl who survived but was in critical condition at a Minnesota hospital. The girls were fourth-graders and members of Troop 3055 in nearby Chippewa Falls, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Minneapolis.
"Our hearts are broken for the girls and families of the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes," CEO Sylvia Acevedo of Girl Scouts of the USA said in a statement Sunday.
"The Girl Scout Movement everywhere stands with our sister Girl Scouts in Wisconsin to grieve and comfort one another in the wake of this terrible tragedy."
In a message to parents, Superintendent Heidi Eliopoulos said: "This is a difficult time for our students, families and staff. We will be providing ongoing support for both students (and) families and staff for as long as needed."
Sokup said it was not immediately known if there were other factors that might have led the driver to leave the road. The Star Tribune reported that the crash happened before a hill and there were no blind spots, and Sokup said it was "not an unsafe area."
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