Waukesha fatal multi-vehicle crash; teen dies at hospital, driver arrested
WAUKESHA, Wis. - One person has died following a multi-vehicle crash in Waukesha on Monday, Dec. 30. It happened at East Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that a motorist was traveling on Sunset Drive at a high rate of speed and failed to stop at the stop sign and struck two other vehicles.
Flight for Life responded to the scene and transported a 17-year-old to Froedtert Hospital. The 17-year-old, identified as Megan Voss, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
Other subjects involved suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated and later released.
Scene at East Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road
Police say the driver of the vehicle that failed to stop at the stop sign, a 19-year-old, showed signs of impairment and was taken into custody for operating while intoxicated and will further face charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.
When Mike Masch ran from his house across the street to the crash, he wasn’t prepared for what he’d find.
"My daughter said, ‘Dad, dad! There’s a horrible accident,’" Masch said. "The car was up on the curb, you try to get her to wake up and she was unresponsive."
Police say the man hit two other vehicles.
Scene at East Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road
Masch said he was the first one at the scene and tried to comfort the victim:
"I held her hand and I said, ‘Mam, mam, mam.’ Nothing. The dog, that’s when he tried to jump out and I got the blood on me," he recalled.
This marks Waukesha's third homicide of 2024 – and is the first fatal OWI crash.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Voss.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Waukesha West mourns
On Tuesday, Dec. 31, classmates were in mourning. They came to Waukesha West High School on Tuesday to remember Voss.
"She put everyone before herself," senior Tyler Sodemann said. "She was going into the healthcare field because she wanted to help other people."
Dozens of her classmates and her brother put crosses on her parking space.
"She was friends to everybody. Like, she was best friends with everybody," senior Trianna Wenzel said. "Even if you didn’t know her well, she was that smile in the corner – you could look at her and know everything is going to be okay."
Voss’s brother told FOX6 News the family was looking forward to Voss' graduation this spring. He also said their dog, Bleu, who was in the car with Voss, had to be euthanized because of his injuries.
Waukesha West High School Principal Tahereh DeLeón sent a letter out to students and families on Tuesday, Dec. 31:
"Megan Voss was a beloved member of our school community, and she will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. She brought positivity, enthusiasm, and kindness to our school, and she will be remembered fondly by all. During her time at West, Megan participated in many clubs and activities, including Interact, Cheerleading, the Random Acts of Kindness Club, the Bible Club, and she was also a member of the Ignition Team for incoming freshmen. Additionally, as an AVID student, Megan excelled in independently preparing for her future in the healthcare field and was doing exceptionally well in her co-op program.
Our district has a team of student services professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this. We will have student services staff available at West upon our return to school on Thursday, January 2, 2025.
If your child has more questions or you would like to support your child through continued conversations, I have linked some additional resources for you to use in talking with students about death or loss. We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to help you and your student."