UPDATE: The man accused of killing three Girl Scouts and an adult near Lake Hallie on Saturday will be charged with four counts of homicide through negligent use of a vehicle. Sgt. Daniel Sokup gave that information to the Associated Press.

Sokup said the crash happened before a hill and there were no blind spots.

“The area is not an unsafe area,” Sokup said. He added it was not immediately known if there were other factors that might have led the driver to leave the road.

The crash happened late Saturday morning as the girls were picking up litter in a ditch in Lake Hallie.

According to the Associated Press, the girls were in the fourth grade at Halmstad Elementary School.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune quoted a relative of a girl in the troop who was not injured as saying the Girl Scouts were all wearing bright safety vests and were accompanied by several adults.

UPDATE:

Chippewa County (WQOW) – A Chippewa Falls man has surrendered to police investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed four people and injured others Saturday near Lake Hallie.

Three of the dead were kids and one was an adult. Another child is hospitalized in critical condition. They were all part of a local Girl Scout troop, who were picking up trash along the highway, according to police.

It happened just before noon Saturday on County Road P near the Highway 29 overpass. Police say Colten Treu, 21, of Chippewa Falls ran off the road and struck the group that was picking up trash and then fled the scene.

UPDATE:

Chippewa County (WQOW) – Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk confirms at least two young girls were killed in the hit and run.

Authorities are looking for the driver of a pickup truck that was involved in a hit-and-run this morning involving multiple victims. It happened just before noon on County Road P near Lake Hallie.

A life flight helicopter and multiple ambulances were on the scene.

The vehicle involved is a black or dark gray Ford 2004-2006 F-150. The truck is missing a mirror and had front end damage. Lake Hallie officers said the vehicle was heading northbound towards Chippewa Falls. Anyone who has any information is asked to call 911.