Fond du Lac teen charged as adult in crash that killed friend

A 16-year-old girl from Sheboygan has been charged as an adult in a rollover crash Saturday night in northeastern Fond du Lac County that killed her friend and injured five others.The crash happened on Highway HH in the Town of Calumet, where prosecutors say Madylin Blonigen was driving a small SUV packed with five friends, including one in the cargo area, when she missed a curve and the vehicle overturned. Seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn Reinhardt of Kiel died in the crash, and the other passengers sustained injuries, some of them serious. Dispatch audio captured the urgency of the scene. "It appears that the vehicle is rolled and the subject who is pinned is supposed to be under the vehicle," one dispatcher said. Another added, "Caller said 5 to 6 patients." Emergency responders called for additional resources. "Command, if you could, get a second chopper in the air," one responder said, with the dispatcher confirming, "Copy command. Second chopper." Blonigen appeared in court Wednesday, four days later, charged with driving without a license causing death and great bodily harm. "As much as one may refer to this as a tragic accident, there certainly are allegations here of behavior that caused that accident," said Judge Laura Lavey during the hearing to set bail. According to the criminal complaint, one of the victims told a deputy that Blonigen "was going too fast." Despite the charges, parents of several victims asked the judge for leniency. "On behalf of my son, a victim, we ask for leniency," parent Kristine Kopp said. Andrea Spisla, the parent of another victim, said in court she, too, would like to see Blonigne treated with compassion. "I would like it not to go really severe on her," Spisla said.Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney commented on the broader impact of the crash. "Any time we have a fatality, whether it's criminal or not, it's tragic for the family that's lost a loved one, especially if it might be a child, and the impact it can have on a community," he said. According to the criminal complaint, Blonigen told investigators she had smoked a THC vape prior to the crash, but she has not been charged with driving while intoxicated. Prosecutors said they are awaiting blood test results from the hospital, which could potentially lead to additional charges. Blonigen, who faces up to 13 years in prison for the current charges, posted $5,000 bail and is back home.Reinhardt just completed her junior year at Kiel High School. The Kiel Area School District issued a statement earlier this week reading in part, "It is with incredible sadness that I share with you the tragic passing of Kaitlynn Reinhardt, an eleventh grade student at Kiel High School who passed away in a car accident June 13th. Our entire school district and community will remember Kaitlynn as a kind and caring student that would do anything for those that she cared about."Top HeadlinesHeavy smoke pours from the abandoned Milwaukee church as crews respondMilwaukee police shoot, arrest man after active shooter reportPackers fire back at Fitzgerald saying fans should be 'offended' by push change broadcasting lawWATCH Florida couple reaches custody agreement after IVF mix-up, documents show