The June 13 rollover killed Kiel High School student Kaitlynn Reinhardt and injured several other teenagers.
FOND DU LAC, WI — A 16-year-old Sheboygan girl has been charged as an adult after authorities said she drove without a license in a Fond du Lac County rollover crash that killed one friend and injured several others June 13.
Madylin Michelle Blonigen faces three felony counts in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court: one count of knowingly operating a motor vehicle without a valid license causing death and two counts of knowingly operating without a valid license causing great bodily harm. The case has drawn attention because all six people in the vehicle were teenagers, the crash killed 17-year-old Kaitlynn Reinhardt, and prosecutors say more charges may be possible after lab results are reviewed.
Deputies were called at about 7:17 p.m. June 13 to County Highway HH near Malone in the town of Calumet after multiple 911 callers reported a single-vehicle rollover. Investigators said the black Toyota SUV was westbound when it failed to make a curve, left the road, hit a culvert and driveway, went airborne, struck a utility pole and rolled over. Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said the case was still developing. “We don’t yet know all the details that led to this crash but the crash remains under investigation,” Toney said.
Reinhardt, a junior at Kiel High School, was pronounced dead at the scene. Court records cited in local reports said she was in the front passenger seat and was pinned after the SUV came to rest on its side. Four other teenagers were hurt. The driver and a 15-year-old passenger were taken by ambulance to St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac. Another 15-year-old was flown to Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee. A third 15-year-old was taken by family to St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan for evaluation. A 14-year-old was not injured and was released to a parent at the scene.
The criminal complaint says Blonigen admitted she was driving and did not have a driver’s license or learner’s permit. State records confirmed she was not licensed, according to reports on the complaint. Investigators also said Blonigen told officers she had used THC from a vape cartridge before the crash and said the use happened between visits to two residences that night. Four vape pens were recovered during the investigation, including one suspected of containing THC and three suspected of containing nicotine. Blonigen denied drinking alcohol, and authorities said a blood draw was taken at the hospital for further testing.
One passenger told investigators the group had been at a home in Kiel, where they were watching a movie, before leaving for a drive in the country with no set destination. The passenger said the plan was to return to the same home later. Another passenger told police Blonigen was driving too fast before the crash. Authorities have not released the final crash reconstruction report, and the results of toxicology testing had not been made public as of Sunday.
Blonigen appeared virtually in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court on June 17. Judge Laura Lavey set cash bond at $5,000 after prosecutors sought a higher amount and several family members, including relatives of victims, asked the court for leniency. Lavey said the allegations were serious even as people in the courtroom described the crash as a tragedy. “There are certainly some things in her favor when it comes to the court setting bond today,” Lavey said. “What is not is the seriousness of these offenses.”
The judge ordered Blonigen not to drive and not to use or possess THC, CBD, hemp products, vapes or related paraphernalia while the case is pending. She was also ordered to maintain absolute sobriety and have no contact with the victims or their immediate family members. Toney said prosecutors expect to review additional evidence, including crime lab results. “Additional charges are anticipated as further evidence becomes available,” he said.
The Kiel Area School District mourned Reinhardt in a public statement after her death. The district said the school community would remember her as kind and caring, and as someone who looked out for how others were treated. A family fundraising page described Reinhardt as having a bright smile and contagious laughter. At the crash scene, images from local outlets showed a rural stretch of highway, a utility pole and open land near where the SUV left the road.
Emergency response to the crash included Fond du Lac County sheriff’s deputies, the Calumet Fire Department, ambulance crews, Calumet County deputies, Wisconsin State Patrol, ThedaStar Air Medical Transport and WE Energies. Highway HH was closed for about five hours while crews treated victims and investigators processed the scene. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team continues to assist with the investigation.
Blonigen is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Her next court date is scheduled for July 20 at 11 a.m., when a status hearing on the preliminary hearing is set in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, June 21, 2026.