Single vehicle wreck claims the life of 18-year-old in Auburn

A single-vehicle wreck in Auburn, Ala. has claimed the life of a 19-year-old from Nebraska and left one other teen with serious injuries, said Lee County Coroner Bill Harris.

The crash occurred at 2:25 a.m. Monday morning on Shug Jordan Parkway near the Wire Road intersection. Michael Madkins, 18, of Elk Grove, Ca., was driving a Range Rover Discovery east on Shug Jordan Parkway when he apparently lost control of the vehicle causing it to overturn several times and ejecting all three occupants, Harris said.

Madkins and another occupant, Garrett Schlichtemeier, of Ogallala, Neb., were taken to East Alabama medical with critical injuries. Both were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Schlichtemeier was pronounced brain dead at 10:25 a.m. from a severe closed head injury. Madkins remains hospitalized.

The third occupant, Tyler Perri, 18, of Covina, Ca., did not seek medical attention.

Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the accident, Harris said. Schlichtemeier’s body will be taken to the medical examiners office of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for an autopsy.

All three of the accident victims were student athletes at Chadron State College in Chadron, Neb. It is believed they were on their way to a spring break gathering in Spanish Fort and had stopped in Auburn to visit with a friend before proceeding on with their trip. The case remains under investigation by the Auburn Police, Lee County Coroner’s office, and the Alabama Dept. of Forensic Sciences.