DEAD GIRL'S FATHER OPPOSES CHARGES

The father of a 17-year-old Spring Green girl killed in a car crash
Thursday calls the tentative charges against the driver, his daughter
's boyfriend, a "tragic mistake. "

John H. Harrison, 17, of Madison, was arrested on suspicion of
homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and causing injury by
intoxicated use of a motor vehicle in the crash, which killed
Courtney Anna Marie Kuenzi Kessenich.

"They were questioning him when he was sedated and apparently he said
he smoked a little pot earlier in the day but I doubt that had
anything to do with it, " said Gary Kessenich, Courtney 's father.
"It was just a tragic crash. "

Dane County deputies announced the tentative charges after finding
what they believe to be marijuana in Harrison 's vehicle at the scene
of the crash, said Sgt. R.J. Lurquin.

While usually associated with alcohol, "intoxicated " can refer to
being under the influence of some other type of controlled substance, he said.

The Sheriff 's Office will forward its reports to the Dane County
district attorney 's office, where any decision on formal charges
will await a blood toxicology report from the state Crime Laboratory.

A hospital toxicology report, provided by Harrison to Kessenich and
shared with the State Journal, shows no drugs or alcohol were in his
system. However, that report included no specific test for THC -- the
active ingredient in marijuana -- while the state 's report does test
for the presence of THC among other drugs.

Courtney was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash around 10:30
p.m. Thursday on Highway 14 in the town of Cross Plains. She was a
passenger in Harrison 's car, which crossed the center line near the
intersection with Cleveland Road and collided with an eastbound
vehicle driven by Susan D. Vondra, 49, of Mazomanie.

Harrison is recovering at UW Hospital from a broken arm, internal
injuries and broken ribs, Gary Kessenich said. Vondra was taken to a
local hospital with serious injuries, a press release said, but her
condition is not known.

Kessenich said his daughter and Harrison had been together for more
than a year and they planned to get engaged June 8 on Harrison 's
18th birthday. Courtney would have graduated from River Valley High
School this spring, Kessenich said.

She worked at Panera Bread on Mineral Point Road in Madison and after
work on the night of the crash drove to Harrison 's sister 's house
nearby. She didn 't want to drive to Spring Green in the snow that
night, which caused a handful of minor slide-offs, so Harrison
offered to drive her, her father said.

On the way home, Kessenich said, Harrison lost control, the Ford
Taurus went sideways and was hit broadside.

"It was an accident. It wasn 't his fault, " Kessenich said. "The
road conditions were terrible and he lost control of the car and my
daughter died. It was an accident. Why do I want to live with
bitterness? I 'm supporting him and his family. "

He said he wants Harrison to attend Courtney 's funeral today in Spring Green.

"John was like a son to me, " Kessenich said. "I 've been agonizing
over this. It 's going to be my mission to straighten it out. I don
't want her going down as a statistic from a drunk driver