4 dead after driver hits Girl Scout troop picking up trash on Wisconsin county road

LAKE HALLIE, Wisconsin (KMSP) - Police in Lake Hallie, Wisconsin have identified the suspect in a fatal hit and run that killed three girls and one woman while they were picking up trash on the side of a road Saturday morning.

At 11:41 a.m., a pickup truck hit multiple victims on County Road P and the Highway 29 overpass near Weber Field near Eau Claire, Wis. The pickup truck left the road and struck the Girl Scout troop in the ditch.

Two other scouts were injured in the crash - one was airlifted to a hospital and is in critical condition. The other was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

According to Lake Hallie Police, the driver fled the scene, but turned himself in later Saturday. He has been identified as Colton Treu, 21, of Chippewa Falls.

Lake Hallie Police Sgt. Daniel Sokup posted this statement on the department's Facebook Saturday:

The Lake Hallie Police Department would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the families involved. We would also like to thank the City of Chippewa Falls Police Department, Chippewa County Sheriff's Department, Wisconsin State Patrol and Chippewa Fire District for their assistance in this matter.

The Chippewa County Sheriff's Office posted this statement Saturday evening:

This is a truly horrific incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends, fellow students, fellow scouts and everyone else impacted by this. Truly, as a community, this affects every one of us. Something very precious has been lost and nothing can bring it back. We grieve with you. With grief can come pain and anger for what has happened. Our focus and our energy needs to be with those impacted by this terrible event. No one should take matters into their own hands.

The incident is still under investigation by the Lake Hallie Police Department.