Licensed teenaged drivers in Wisconsin may transport immediate family members as passengers. However, the advisability of allowing teens to do this may be in question following a rollover crash last week that injured five brothers, one of whom has since died. 

A 16-year-old boy and his four younger brothers, ages 7 to 15, were traveling from their home in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, to a soccer game in Germantown. The driver has since received medical treatment at a hospital, which released him last Thursday. When authorities first arrived at the scene, however, he had been unable to tell them what happened due to severe injuries.

Witnesses describe the car rolling over several times after the driver lost control. They observe that the vehicle had reached a high rate of speed just prior to the accident. The force of the impact ejected three passengers from the vehicle. It is not clear whether they were wearing seatbelts. 

Three of the brothers reportedly sustained critical injuries, and all five required transportation to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, where the 15-year-old later died. The hospital has since released a seven-year-old and a nine-year-old, but a 13-year-old brother remains hospitalized. His current condition is unknown.

Despite the fact that the five brothers are home-schooled, the superintendent of the public school district has extended condolences to those affected by the crash, including family members and public school students acquainted with the brothers. For the benefit of students trying to cope with their emotions in the aftermath of the crash, the superintendent has also promised to make counselors available to talk. 

Most young drivers have no intention of doing harm to others, but inexperience behind the wheel can take a heavy toll. Those injured in a car accident for which another driver is responsible may wish to discuss the case with an attorney.