A 19-year-old Wisconsin woman died on New Year’s Eve after crashing while driving four friends home — then getting hit by a friend in another car who then dragged her for at least three miles, according to authorities.
The victim, identified by her family as Taya Grimes, was thrown onto US Highway 45 around 1 a.m. when her car struck a culvert and rolled over several times, officials told Fox 6 Now of the suspected drunken crash.
At least three of her four passengers, aged between 16 and 21, were also flung out of the car, the report said. One of them, a 17-year-old boy, was critically injured.
After being thrown into the road, Grimes was hit by a car driven by a 19-year-old friend who was traveling alongside them — and who kept driving for miles, according to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies using thermal imaging equipment eventually found her body around three miles away from the original crash scene — still stuck to the second vehicle that hit her, the report said.
Grimes’ mother told Fox 6 Now that she is experiencing “an agony I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
Investigators told the local outlet that alcohol is believed to have played a role in the deadly crash.
The second driver, only identified as a 19-year-old man from West Bend, was later arrested on a charge of hit-and-run causing death for allegedly leaving the scene of the accident before the arrival of deputies.
One of Grimes’ passengers, a 17-year-old boy, was hospitalized in critical condition. Two others, ages 16 and 21, were taken to area hospitals with serious injuries. A 17-year-old was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Grimes’ sister, Tj Grimes, has launched an online fundraiser to help her family pay for the young woman’s memorial service and cremation.
“Taya brought light to people’s darkest days with her bubbly personality and sense of humor,” the sister wrote. “She loved the car scene, sunsets, and hanging out with her friends.”