Fond du Lac County crash; West Bend man arrested, woman dragged miles
FOND DU LAC, Wis. - One person is dead and four others are hurt after a rollover crash on New Year's Eve in Fond du Lac County. A 19-year-old West Bend man has been arrested in connection to the crash.
Doctors are treating two of the four survivors at Froedtert and Children's Wisconsin, respectively.
A 19-year-old woman from Hartford was killed, and investigators say her body was found miles away.
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"It’s curvy. There are a lot of blind spots," said Carolyn Rogers, who knows how dangerous the stretch of U.S. Highway 45 in Fond du Lac County is. "People just need to slow down and respect the road."
She lives just off of Sandy Rd. in the Township of Auburn, but Rogers never imagined a crash as bad as the one that happened early morning on New Year's Eve.
Taya Grimes
"I think everyone in the area is just shell-shocked," Rogers added.
Fond du Lac County investigators say just after 1 a.m. on Dec. 31, a vehicle hit a culvert and rolled over multiple times.
Five people were inside and deputies say four of them were ejected from the vehicle. The driver died.
Family members identified her as 19-year-old Taya Grimes of Hartford. Deputies say alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash. After being ejected, police say she was hit by another car and dragged from the scene.
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Washington County deputies found her body three miles away.
A 19-year-old West Bend man was identified as the driver of the vehicle that struck 19-year-old Taya Grimes and fled the scene in his vehicle prior to the arrival of emergency personnel.
It is believed that the occupants of the vehicles were known to each other and that they were traveling together. He has been arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run, causing death. He remains in custody in the Fond du Lac County Jail awaiting an initial court appearance.
"And to have it happen in your front yard is just – kind of traumatizing," added Rogers. "It’s heartbreaking and it’s sickening. Obviously, a very tragic – devastating for the family and anyone involved in it."
Occupants of the vehicle involved in the initial rollover crash:
- 19-year-old Taya Grimes from Hartford died.
- A 17-year-old male passenger from Iron Ridge was transported by ambulance to Froedert Hospital Milwaukee with critical injuries.
- A 16-year-old female passenger from Theresa was transported by ambulance to Children’s Hospital Milwaukee with serious non-life threatening injuries.
- A 17-year-old passenger from Milwaukee was transported by ambulance to Froedtert West Bend with minor injuries.
- A 21-year-old passenger from Iron Ridge was transported by civilian vehicle to Aurora Medical Center Washington County with serious non-life threatening injuries.
Grimes' mother did not want to speak with FOX6 on camera, but said over the telephone that her heartbreak is quote, "an agony I wouldn't wish on anyone."
Fond du Lac County deputies call both of the crashes a "complex investigation."
FOX6 reached out with a list of questions but have not heard back.
A GoFundMe has been set up.
If you have any information on either of these two related crashes, officials are asking that you contact the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office at 920-929-3390 or the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s tip line at 920-906-4777.