Photo provided to Leader-Telegram by Eau Claire County Sheriff's Dept.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - An investigation by the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department says a group of teens was "hill jumping" and speeding in the moments before three students from Eleva Strum school were killed in a single car crash in December.
Those are among the conclusions of an investigation released Friday morning.
The Eau Claire Leader Telegram reports that the car was traveling 80-90 miles an hour in a 55 miles an hour zone when it hit the hill. The speed and steep grade launched the car 177 feet in the air, it skidded for another 135 feet, flipped, hit a tree and rolled to a stop.
Investigators say when the vehicle landed its 14-year-old driver, Austin Gable, made rapid and abrupt steering movements, causing the vehicle to begin to rotate in a clockwise direction. The car eventually rotated, so the front of the vehicle was facing the north ditch.
From there it struck a brush pile, causing the vehicle to roll end over end.
Two of the teens, Gable and his girlfriend 13-year-old McKenna Johnson, died on impact. 15-year-old Marco Perez died a day later from his injuries.
The car was owned by Felicia Bertrang, the only licensed Wisconsin driver at the time of the crash. She admitted to police she would often hand the keys over to younger drivers, at times allowing someone as young as 12 to drive the vehicle.
Bertrang survived the crash. She and Ulises Ponce, 13, were badly injured.
The report also says that Gable was the only one wearing a seatbelt.
The Eau Claire County Attorney will now determine if charges will be filed.
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