Fond du Lac County Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Strand says in this age of instant news there was a danger that information about the traffic deaths of three students this week might have gotten out before his department had time to properly notify the families. He says when people heard three high school students were killed there was a lot of speculation about which school they attended. "You have people with cellphones and texting back and forth," said Strand. "My understanding is, some of the Campbellsport High School students were texting each other, wondering if it was some of their fellow students."
Peng Thao, Fue Vang and Jerry Vang, all students at Fon du Lac High School, were killed in a single car crash early Monday, but that information was not officially released until later Monday afternoon. Strand also says that a witness to the fatal accident is lucky he lived to tell about it. He says another couple of seconds might have made Jim Kelroy part of the accident. Strand, who's been with the Sheriff's Department for about 25 years, says the crash that claimed the lives of the three teens is one of the worst accidents he's ever seen. "I don't care how old your kids are, you're always going to be a parent. And those are your worst fears when you see that sort of thing."