3 days ago
Homecoming king killed as classmate allegedly drove him drunk to celebrate their graduation: ‘I f–ked up'
A high school homecoming king was killed when his drunk classmate crashed while showing off his truck just days after their graduation — with the driver sobbing to cops that he was an alcoholic who 'f–ked up,' according to authorities.
Izak Schermerhorn, 18, was charged Thursday with vehicular homicide for crashing and killing his school's homecoming king, Blake Unger, 18, while taking him for a late-night drive in Western Minnesota, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox 9.
Unger was found trapped under his pal's pickup truck — and a deputy noted deep ruts in the gravel road where 'it appeared the driver had been aggressively fishtailing back and forth.'
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Izak Schermerhorn, 18, is charged with vehicular homicide.
Otter Tail County Detention Facility
Schermerhorn told deputies he had been sober for a year after battling with alcoholism — but had drunk three or four Mike's Hard lemonades 'to celebrate' them both graduating from New York Mills High School on Friday, the document said.
The teen driver 'repeatedly made statements that 'his life was over and all for a couple of drinks' and that he 'f–cked up,'' according to the complaint.
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Schermerhorn also allegedly told deputies 'he wanted to show off the sound of his exhaust because he modified his catalytic converter.'
'He intentionally had been sliding around the road before the crash and was not able to control the vehicle when it went into the ditch,' police noted.
Blake Unger was named homecoming king of New York Mills High School this fall.
Facebook / Dinee Dixie Dykhoff
Schermerhorn was charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide related to being drunk and a third alleging gross negligence.
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He appeared in court on Thursday where a judge granted his release on $1,000 bail on the condition he seeks counseling, abstains from drug or alcohol use and remains out of trouble. He is scheduled to return to court on June 10.
Unger was a three-sport athlete at New York Mills High School and was crowned homecoming king last fall, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
'It is with a great deal of sadness that I share this message with you … that a member of our school community has passed away in a motor vehicle accident,' District Superintendent Adam Johnson said in a statement to families. 'This is a devastating time for our entire community.'
