Witnesses: Woman with both hands on phone causes fatal Wisconsin crash

St. Croix County, Wisc. (KARE) — At a tearful Sunday service at Rush River Lutheran Church in Minnesota, the pastor threw out the script. “We had a microphone that we passed around and we just shared stories,” said Pastor Dave Taig.

Few in the congregation didn’t have fond memories of Kyra Hayes. “You know she had dreams of being a doctor, I saw seminary student written all over her,” said Pastor Taig.

Pastor Taig couldn’t help but know Kyra as a church reader, usher, singer, Sunday school helper and volunteer for anything else that needed doing.

The Ellsworth High School junior was on her way to help at her family’s sandwich shop in Woodbury after school Friday – when deputies say another driver also northbound on Highway 35 north of River Falls veered into her lane.

Kyra, driving that dark SUV, took evasive action, lost control, rolled the car–and was killed.

Another motorist told deputies the 21-year-old Minnesotan driving the other car had both hands on her phone and appeared to be texting just before the crash.