Samantha V. Smith was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and was ejected from the car. She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was alone at the time of the accident.

According to Calumet County Chief Deputy Brett Bowe, authorities backtracked from the site of the crash to piece together Smith's route, which included a car-damaging ride on Lake Winnebago.

"We backtracked to the landing on Fire lane 8," Bowe said. "Ice was broken on a runoff creek on the west side. It's probably where she came off the lake, but we don't know where she got on."

Bowe said Smith apparently blew out the front driver's side tire when she went through the ice, and by the time she came to the roundabout, "She had no rubber left on that tire,," he said. The vehicle was also leaking fluid.

The cause of the crash has not been determined, though the vehicle damage and possibly excessive speed could have been contributing factors, Bowe said.

Smith, a mother of two, was employed as a server at The Bar in Appleton.

The Calumet County Sheriff's Department was assisted by the Harrison First Responders, Harrison fire Dept., Gold Cross Ambulance and Calumet County Medical Examiner Mike Klaeser.

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