PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Though the Fond Du Lac county Sheriff and District Attorney have some information regarding what happened in the town of Auburn last weekend, they’re still looking for more answers.
“We have not had the cooperation from everyone involved that we would expect and hope for from a tragedy like this,” Fond Du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt said.
There were two crashes early in the morning of New Year’s Eve. The first incident happened on U.S. Highway 45 near Sandy Road in the town of Auburn, on the Fond du Lac/Washington County line. The second was about three miles into Washington County. In the first crash, four of five passengers were ejected from a vehicle. Among them was 19 year old Taya Grimes. Grimes was then hit by a different vehicle and dragged three miles from the scene where she was found dead.
An online fundraiser has been set up to help pay for her funeral expenses.
“Based on the way the investigation has progressed it is very difficult to determine if somebody may have been alive when they were struck by a vehicle or not which presents some of those challenges,” Fond Du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said.
What exactly preceded the crashes is still under investigation. Though authorities say there was an underage drinking party.
“With all of these people involved and associating them back to the party, we’re working to determine who may have consumed alcohol and or drugs, what those drinks and or drugs were and how or if that played a role in this crash or the sequence of events that happened after the crash,” Waldschmidt said.
Waldschmidt described the investigation as one of the most complex he’s seen for a crash in 25 years.
“We owe it to the other victims are their families to get to the bottom of this and ultimately hold accountable who needs to be held accountable,” Waldschmidt said.
Currently one person is in custody- 19 year old Jatziel Encarnacion.
“For hit and run causing great bodily harm, and he remains in custody in our jail,” Waldschmidt said. “We also continue to compile reports in preparation for a referral to the Fond Du Lac county district attorney’s office.”
Encarnacion has yet to be formally charged. Toney said the sheriff’s office is still compiling reports and has not sent those to the DA’s office yet. The count was previously listed as hit and run causing death. A probable cause statement is sealed from the public.
“They’re still running down a significant amount of leads and we don’t want some of those witnesses that may come forward influenced by information that they may hear in the media,” Toney said.
Investigators say they’re hoping to refer charges early next week after critical interviews were conducted Friday.
The sheriff’s office said it believes the occupants of the two vehicles involved in these crashes knew each other and were traveling together.
Waldschmidt is asking any witnesses or anyone who may have been involved to call the dispatch center at (920) 929-3390 and ask to speak to an investigator. Anonymous tips may be left by calling the tip line at (920) 906-4777.
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