Jury to hear evidence in Girl Scout traffic deaths
Sept 11, 2019
"When Colten R. Treu’s trial in the hit-and-run deaths of four people begins in January, the jury will be allowed to hear some details about a crash involving Treu that occurred Sept. 30 in Rusk County.
During a motion hearing Wednesday in Chippewa County Court, Judge James Isaacson ruled that the jury can hear how the crash occurred but said that any information about his drug use or intoxication at the time will be redacted and not shared with the jury.
Treu, 22, 1060 Joseph St., is charged with four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, four counts of hit and run-involving death, and one count each of hit and run-causing great bodily harm, intentionally abusing hazardous materials and bail jumping. Treu is accused of huffing from an aerosol canister on Nov. 3, 2018, then crashing his pickup truck into members of Girl Scout Troop 3055 as they were picking up trash on Highway P in Lake Hallie, south of the Highway 29 overpass....
The homicide trial is slated to begin Jan. 21 and could last two weeks. One more motion hearing is slated for Oct. 30. Isaacson ordered the defense to have all of its motions filed by Sept. 25 so the prosecution has time to examine them....
Treu remains incarcerated on a $250,000 cash bond.
The four people killed in the crash were Jayna S. Kelley, 9, Autum A. Helgeson, 10, both of Lake Hallie, Haylee J. Hickle, 10, and her mother, Sara Jo Schneider, 32, both of the town of Lafayette.
The fifth person injured was Madalyn Zwiefelhofer; she was hospitalized for three weeks....
Treu has one drunken-driving conviction from 2014, plus the Sept. 30 incident in Rusk County. He has a status hearing on that case slated for Jan. 27."
Jury to hear evidence in Girl Scout traffic deaths
