(CLARIFICATION: Trenton D. Lawry has pleaded not guilty to a traffic citation in connection with the Dec. 13 death of Kasey Ramthun. He has not entered a plea on the three felony charges connected to the two-vehicle crash.)
WISCONSIN RAPIDS − An 18-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man made his initial appearance Monday, Aug. 18, in Wood County Circuit Court on charges connected to the Dec. 13 death of a 17-year-old Vesper girl in a two-vehicle crash in Auburndale.
Retired Marathon County Circuit Judge Gregory Huber, working in Wood County, set a $100,000 signature bail for Trenton D. Lawry, who faces charges of homicide by negligent operation of a motor vehicle for the death of Kasey Ramthun, reckless driving causing great bodily harm and injury by negligent use of a dangerous weapon.
Lawry pleaded not guilty to a traffic citation for failure to stop at a stop sign causing death in connection to the case, according to online court records.
Lawry’s attorney, Erika Bierma, waived Lawry’s right to a preliminary hearing within a limited time frame. No next court date had been scheduled for Lawry as of the morning of Aug. 18.
According to the criminal complaint, at 5:40 p.m. Dec. 13, a caller reported a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of U.S. 10 and Wood County P in the village of Auburndale. Lawry, the driver of one of the vehicles, a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, was trapped inside. Ramthun, a passenger in the vehicle, was unconscious and bleeding.
Paramedics tried to help Ramthun, but she was declared dead at 5:45 p.m., according to the complaint.
The driver of the second vehicle, a 2017 Toyota Highlander, said she was on U.S. 10 heading west, but she didn’t know anything else and didn’t remember the crash. The driver of the second vehicle, who had a head and hand injury, was transported to a hospital.
A deputy spoke with Lawry, who said, “This is my fault. I’m sorry,” according to the complaint. Lawry said he “couldn’t see the stop sign” and “ran it on accident.” Lawry also was taken to a hospital for medical attention.
A witness to the crash called a deputy on Dec. 14. The witness said he was traveling west on U.S. 10 behind the Highlander and saw the Malibu “roll the stop sign” at State 186 and U.S. 10 and accelerate, according to the complaint. The witness said the Malibu did not stop for the second stop sign and the Highlander hit the Malibu in the passenger’s side, according to the complaint. The witness thought the Highlander was going about 70 mph.
Contact Karen Madden at kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Wisconsin Rapids teen in court in connection with Dec. 13 crash that killed Vesper girl
Reporting by Karen Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune / Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
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