MONROE - About 400 students, school district staff and community members packed the area around the Green County Courthouse on the Square on Saturday evening as they came together for a candlelight vigil to honor three Monroe High School sophomores who died after a two-vehicle accident on Friday afternoon

With their hands cupped around flickering candles to prevent the whipping wind from blowing them out, hundreds sang the first verse of "Amazing Grace."

Pastor Randy Booth, of the Monroe United Methodist Church, had a message for those attending. He urged community members to unite and console each other through the losses and grief.

"The truth is death comes when you least expect it or want it," Booth said. "The only way to respond to it is to get right. Get right with your parents. Get right with your friends. Get right with the people you have sent a rude message to on social media. Get right with God. There is still light in all of this darkness."

According to the Green County Sheriff's Department, Gage Noble died at the scene of the accident Friday in Clarno township. Joseph Wyss and Anya Teasdale were both Med Flighted to University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital where they later died.

Jennifer Hopkins, who was driving the vehicle struck by the one Noble was driving, was also Med Flighted to UW Hospital. She was listed in critical condition on Friday but an updated condition report was unavailable on Sunday.

Several Monroe boys hockey players wore jerseys in honor of Wyss on Saturday. Monroe senior Tyler Johnson said a group of about eight Monroe hockey players went to the hospital Friday before Wyss passed away.

"We got to hold his hand and tell him how much we loved him one last time," Johnson said.

Johnson said he went over to Wyss' home Friday, hoping to meet up with him. Shortly after he didn't find him and couldn't reach him by phone, he learned of the accident.

"I really didn't want to believe it," he said. "Joe was always positive. Whenever we were down, he knew how to pick us up."

Johnson and several hockey players did a skate for him at SLICE Saturday before the vigil. They added his number onto the ice and framed his jersey in the locker room.

Monroe sophomore Kennedy Foulker was friends with Noble, Wyss and Teasdale. It hit her hard, like many others in the sophomore class at MHS.

"I'm still not even comprehending it," Foulker said. "I didn't want to ever believe it."

Foulker recalled Noble as a person who always made people laugh. Noble was involved with the high school's play production of "Willy Wonka." The performances of "Willy Wonka" were postponed, but will be rescheduled for a different date, Monroe High School Principal Chris Medenwaldt said in an email.

Noble also enjoyed hunting and fishing, according to his obituary. (See Page A2.)

"The big thing they all had is they lit up the room when they walked in," Foulker said. "They definitely knew how to cheer you up."

Monroe senior Josie Eberle, a friend of Teasdale's, was crushed when she found out about the accident. She had known Teasdale for 10 years and competed on the Green County Gems gymnastics team with her.

"She was always willing to help and lend a helping hand in the gym to younger gymnasts to make them better," Eberle said.

Senior Pastor Dan Krahenbuhl of the Monroe Bible Church spent time at the UW Hospital in Madison with the Wyss and Teasdale families. He relayed a message about how Wyss could still help others.

"There will be some people who get a new life because of Joe's body donation," Krahenbuhl said.

Krahenbuhl called on community members to be listeners for those struggling to cope with the losses.

"Grief can be very disastrous," Krahenbuhl said. "We are a community and it's important that we are there for one another."

A fundraiser for the families of the victims was posted on the fundraising website gofundme.com Saturday. A second gofundme fundraiser for the Noble family was also started on Sunday.

There is also a gofundme page for Hopkins, as well as an online sign-up to arrange for meals to be donated for her family. According to that page, Hopkins is expected to be released from the hospital to recover at home.

The high school had staff on hand Saturday and Sunday afternoon to help students cope with the losses. Counseling staff will also be available this week.

Monroe senior Alicia Kuester was in Waunakee on Friday getting ready to play a basketball game when she was informed about the accident.

"My heart is just hurting for the families," Kuester said. "I know as a community we will get through this."

MONROE - Three Monroe teens were killed and a Monroe woman critically injured after a two-vehicle collision south of Monroe Friday afternoon.

One of the vehicle's drivers, Gage P. Noble, 16, was pronounced dead at the scene. Noble's passengers, Anya T. L. Teasdale, 16, and Joseph T. Wyss, 15, were transported by Med Flight to University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital where they later died as a result of their injuries.

The driver of the other vehicle, Jennifer L. Hopkins, 35, was also flown to UW Hospital in critical condition. Hospital representatives had no update on her condition Sunday afternoon.

According to a release from the Green County Sheriff's Department, the crash occurred at 2:20 p.m. at the intersection of Melvin Road and Clarno Road. Noble, who was driving westbound on Melvin Road, failed to stop in time at the intersection and struck a northbound truck driven by Hopkins. Speed was a factor in the crash, according to the release.

The Green County Sheriff's Department, Monroe First Response and Green County EMS responded to the scene. Roads leading to the intersection were closed for six hours to permit investigation.

This is 2017's first fatal traffic accident.



- Michael Brestovansky