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Three East Troy seniors killed in accident Thursday

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Steven Wosinski

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Shanna Kuznicki

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Lauryn Mustain

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Andrew Bohmann

EAST TROY — East Troy High School on Friday grieved the loss of three seniors killed in a Thursday crash during the season’s first snow.

Students walked down the halls teary-eyed. The school library was used as a grievance room. The senior class gathered. Additional counselors were brought in from area schools.

Killed were Shanna L. Kuznicki, Lauryn K. Mustain and Steven J. Wosinski. They were 17.

The three were passengers in a Toyota Corolla driven by Andrew A. Bohmann, 17. He remained hospitalized Friday afternoon.

The wreck happened about 5:15 p.m. Thursday on County ES near County J in East Troy Township.

Michael Smith, a crash reconstruction specialist with the Wisconsin State Patrol, said the four seniors in the Corolla were traveling north on County ES when the vehicle slid sideways and struck the front of an oncoming BMW.

Mustain was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other three were taken to the hospital. Kuznicki and Wosinski died at the hospital—one of them Thursday night and the other Friday morning.

The driver of the BMW, Cori M. Waki, 16, and passenger Rebecca M. Schicantek, 16, are juniors at the high school. Smith said they were walking around at the scene after the crash but were transported to the hospital.

The six students were in clubs together.

Bohmann, Mustain and Kuznicki worked on the school’s yearbook. All but Mustain were members of the school’s Solidarity Club, a group committed to providing a safe environment for students and promoting equality.

“They were all very close friends, a very close-knit, fun-loving group, described as smiling all the time,” Principal Rick Penniston said of the four in the Toyota.

“They also were advocates for human rights, individual rights. They were very strong individuals, very self-expressive. They had a large impact here. They were visible.”

Lynn Richardson, 55, of Delavan was driving behind the BMW when the accident happened.

“It was snowing very hard, it was very icy,” she said. “In fact, at that point I believe it was sleeting because I could hear it on the windshield.”

Richardson said the Toyota didn’t appear to be speeding. She could tell the BMW was going under the speed limit because she was following it. Visibility was impaired, she said.

The accident report indicates neither alcohol or drugs were a factor.

Smith said the engine of the BMW absorbed most of the impact. The Toyota was hit on the side and didn’t have as much protection, he said.

Walworth County Coroner John Griebel said he performed one autopsy Friday and the other two are scheduled for today.

State Patrol officials still are investigating the accident, Smith said.