Two Badger High students killed in crash

By Chris Schultz/Janesville Gazette

Brent Michael Konecny of 722 Wisconsin St., Lake Geneva, was declared dead at the scene about 8 a.m. Thursday morning, said Walworth County Deputy Coroner Ron Wilson.

The driver of the car, Monica Murphy, also 17, of Lake Como, was critically injured and taken to Lakeland Medical Center, Elkhorn. She was then transferred to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Wauwatosa.

She died 2:21 a.m. Friday, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office.

Konecny was a sophomore at Badger. Murphy was a junior.

Murphy was driving and Konecny was in the front passenger seat of a Pontiac Grand Prix, when the car made a left turn from northbound Highway 120 to westbound H directly into the path of dump truck owned by DLM Transportation of Lake Geneva.

Steve Cole, town of Bloomfield police chief, said the accident occured at 7:08 a.m., where 120 and H meet, creating a kind of "X" intersection just southeast of Big Foot Beach State Park. The intersection, which is controlled by traffic signals, is in the town of Bloomfield.

Cole said the car with Murphy and Konecny were northbound on 120 and turning on H to head northwest to Badger High School.

The dump truck was heading south on 120.

Cole said the two collided in the intersection about the time the traffic signal for 120 traffic had turned yellow.

The driver of the truck, Andrew J. Davis, 31, of Walworth, was not injured.

The two students were "just good solid kids. Good students," said Jim Gottinger, Badger High School District superintendent.

Gottinger said the school has a crisis plan in place and counselors will be available to talk to students about the tragedy.

Gottinger said the tragedy was still to recent for anyone at the school to comment further.

Cole said the Bloomfield police were assisted by the Lake Geneva police, the Walworth County Sheriff's Department and the Wisconsin State Highway Patrol. The highway patrol is investigating the accident.

No citations have been issued at this time, Cole said.