MONROE - After a two-car accident claimed the lives of three Monroe High School students and hospitalized a Monroe woman Friday, students and community members are left to cope with the trauma and their grief the best they can.



Empty Chairs

"It's been a tough morning," said Monroe High School principal Chris Medenwaldt on Monday afternoon. "It's difficult to deal with the reality of it all."

Students didn't have to deal with their grief alone, however. Medenwaldt said counseling is available for students who need a safe space to process their emotions.

"These kids are resilient," Medenwaldt said. "And we've seen them support each other through this difficult period."

Community members showed their support with a prayer vigil near the school Monday morning as students arrived.

Renee Setterstrom, who organized the vigil, said the several hundred people who assembled represented a "virtual hug" for the students.

"As a former teacher, I knew it would be a tough day for the students and the teachers," Setterstrom said. "It's hard to see that empty chair."

Setterstrom said she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support for a vigil she expected to host no more than 20 attendees.

"I just felt the need to pray for everyone inside the school," Setterstrom said.

Medenwaldt said members of the school staff were handling their grief "as well as can be expected," and added that this week would not be academically rigorous.

"I'm really thankful that we've been supported by so many members of our community," Medenwaldt said.



Trauma

"It's been trauma upon trauma for us," said Green County Sheriff Mark Rohloff. "A bad crash scene like that is bad for any first responders."

Rohloff was one of eight officers who responded to the scene of the accident Friday afternoon. Monroe EMS chief Dan Nufer said about a dozen EMS responders also were on scene.

One teen, Gage Noble, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, while two others, Anya Teasdale and Joe Wyss, were Med Flighted to University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison where they later died from their injuries. Jennifer Hopkins, who was driving a separate vehicle, was also Med Flighted to UW Hospital in critical condition and was released Monday.

Rohloff said that, in a small town like Monroe, responders are more likely to know the victims or their families, compounding their possible trauma.

Nufer said he couldn't speak for the experiences of his team - "it impacts them all differently," he said - but to his knowledge, none of his responders were familiar with the victims in this instance.

"Certainly if they knew them, then that would affect their performance," Nufer said. "If we knew someone knew the victims ahead of time, we would try to replace them with someone else."

"Even if they don't know the victims, a lot of these responders are parents or coaches," Rohloff said. "So it's still going to end up affecting them."

Rohloff said the sheriff's department would undergo a critical incident debriefing Monday night - a private session allowing personnel to talk through their reactions to the tragedy.

"It helps us identify people who might need additional counseling," Rohloff said.

Rohloff said that chaplains were also involved at the scene of the crash to offer counseling to responders and civilians.

Rohloff and Nufer both said that no responder had requested time off to cope with the tragedy.

"Maybe that will come later," Rohloff said.

"It's good to be cognizant that, in a situation like this, there are more victims than just the people in the crash," Rohloff said. "It hits the whole community."

MONROE - In an effort to support the community, the Green County Family YMCA, in conjunction with its members and volunteers, will open its doors from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Students and their families are welcome to stop in for a time of togetherness and support. A meal and drinks will be available.

A prayer will be offered at 8 p.m.