WAUPACA COUNTY, WI – A deadly head-on collision in Wisconsin claimed the lives of four siblings. On the night of Saturday around 9 pm, the Gonzalez siblings- Daniel, 25, Fabian, 23, Lilian, 14, and Daniela, 9- were tragically killed when 47-year-old Scott Farmer reportedly drove his truck into the SUV the siblings were traveling in. The collision was allegedly caused by Farmer driving the wrong way on Highway 10, about 100 miles from Milwaukee.
Farmer has since been charged with four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. At the collision scene, Fabian, Lilian, and Daniela lost their lives instantly while Daniel succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on Sunday.
Kurt Shilling, the siblings’ step-father, urged people to think of others before resorting to excessive drinking or other drug use, as those actions had “destroyed our lives”. Farmer’s bond was set at $75,000 during his first court appearance via video from Waupaca County jail on Monday.
Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe, a cousin to the victims, created a GoFundMe page for the bereaved family, revealing that all the siblings were natives of the Indigenous community of Saraguro, Ecuador. At the time of the fatal collision, the siblings were returning home from their routine weekly outing, with their house just three miles away from the collision site.
Friends and locals, including Shelby Strahl and her twin, Farah Krueger, who had driven up to the site on the night of the tragedy, offered their condolences to the mourning family.
Schilling, dissatisfied with the set bond amount for Farmer, questioned the justice in it. While Farmer’s attorney, Alex Gelhar, contended that his client has strong financial and familial ties to the region, indicating that he’s not a flight risk.
Following funeral services in Wisconsin, the bodies of the siblings will be taken to Ecuador, their place of birth, for burial. The funds raised through the GoFundMe page will be used towards the siblings’ funeral services, reparation processes, and other unforeseen expenses.