The teen driver at the wheel of that tragic car accident that left one dead and four others injured was in court on Wednesday, and the victim has been identified.
16-year-old Madylin Blonigen of Sheboygan is being charged as an adult in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court, facing 3 counts of Knowingly Operating a Motor Vehicle Without a License, 2 counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle Causing Great Bodily Harm, and 1 count of Operating a Motor Vehicle Causing Death.
Court documents indicate that Blonigen admitted to vaping THC and driving even though she didn’t have a license. One passenger involved in the crash told authorities that the teen was driving too fast when the SUV left the road, struck a culvert going airborne, striking a utility pole and rolling over.
The victim, identified in a facebook post by the Kiel Area School District, was 17-year-old Kaitlin Reinhardt, an eleventh-grade student at Kiel High School. Reinhardt was remembered as a kind and caring student. Reinhardt died as a result of being pinned beneath the SUV when it rolled over.
Family members of some of the victims asked the court for leniency as bail was being considered. The judge nonetheless imposed a cash bail of $5,000 – which was posted – and Blonigen was ordered to return to court on July 20th. While out on bail, Blonigen was ordered to have no contact with victims or their families and must maintain absolute sobriety. If convicted, she could face up to 13 years in prison.
Meanwhile, the Kiel Area School District has made counselors and support teams available to students needing help dealing with their loss, and a go-fund-me page has been established to assist Reinhardt’s family with final expenses. Reinhardt was the only child of Jason Reinhardt and Libby Jannusch. As of 5 AM Thursday, $22,720 has been raised. That page can be accessed through this link.
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