With less than a week before the start of the fall semester, the UW-Madison community is mourning the loss of three students after a fatal car crash on Midvale Boulevard early Wednesday morning.
The Dane County Coroner's Office identified the victims as Lindsey Plank, 23, Richard Putze, 22, and Daniel Myers, 22, all of Madison.
According to a police report, Madison Police Department officers responded to a single-vehicle crash at 215 S. Midvale Blvd. around 1:45 a.m.
Police said the vehicle slammed into a tree near the intersection of Midvale and Hillcrest Drive between Mineral Point Road and Regent Street.
Putze was pronounced dead at the scene, and Myers and Plank were transported to UW Hospital where they later died, according to the coroner's office. Police said they are investigating whether alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash.
According to the Offices of the Dean of Students, Plank and Putze were both incoming seniors majoring in chemistry. Myers was not enrolled for fall classes but completed graduation requirements for a degree in music performance during the summer.
Dean of Students Lori Berquam said students were stunned"" to learn of the death of their classmates.
""This is a tragedy no matter how you add it up, but then multiply it by three,"" she said.
Berquam noted the correspondence of the deaths with the beginning of school and the tragic homicide of UW-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann last semester as factors making the situation particularly difficult.
""Students are still recovering from that situation and then are faced with yet another one,"" Berquam said.
Professor Robert Hamers, chair of the Department of Chemistry, described UW-Madison's chemistry community as ""devastated"" by the students' deaths. He said both Plank and Putze volunteered to help with lecture demonstrations in addition to being chemistry majors.
""Our heartfelt condolences go out to all the family and friends of all three students,"" Hamers said in a statement.
Students in need of crisis counseling are encouraged to call the University Health Services Counseling and Consultation Services at (608) 265-5600 or the Dean of Students Office at (608) 263-5700 or e-mail dean@odos.wisc.edu.
