Latest news with #NewYorkMills
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Graduation celebration ends in tragedy as homecoming king is 'killed by his friend in drunk driving crash'
A Minnesota high school graduation celebration ended in tragedy after an alleged drunk driving crash killed the school's homecoming king and left his classmate facing felony charges. Blake Unger, 18, a beloved homecoming king and standout athlete from New York Mills High School, was killed on Tuesday when his classmate, Izak Schermerhorn, also 18, crashed his pickup truck while intoxicated. The two had been celebrating their recent graduation when the fatal accident occurred in Bluffton Township, in the area of County Highway 75 and 640th Avenue. According to authorities, Schermerhorn had consumed three to four Mike's Hard Lemonades before picking up his friend for a late-night drive. Schermerhorn admitted to intentionally fishtailing on a gravel road and claimed he had been showcasing recent modifications to his truck's exhaust. 'Deputy Peterson observed deep ruts in the road where it appeared the driver had been aggressively fishtailing back and forth along the gravel road,' the criminal complaint reads, Fox9 reported. However, Schermerhorn eventually lost control of his truck, causing the vehicle to flip and roll into a ditch and pin Unger underneath. Despite efforts to revive him, Unger was pronounced dead at the scene. Schermerhorn, who had reportedly been sober for a year following a past struggle with alcoholism, expressed deep remorse to deputies, stating, 'I f***ed up' and that his life was over 'for a couple of drinks'. His blood alcohol content was measured at 0.13 - well above the legal limit for drivers of any age. He now faces three counts of criminal vehicular homicide - two for driving under the influence and one for gross negligence. A judge released him on $1,000 bail on Thursday, with conditions including counseling and abstaining from alcohol and drugs. He is scheduled to return to court on June 10. Unger was remembered for his athleticism and leadership, particularly his game-saving interceptions in football and his contributions to the wrestling team. '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.' GoFundMe fundraiser has since been created to support the family through their loss.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Homecoming king is killed by his friend in tragic graduation celebration
A Minnesota high school graduation celebration ended in tragedy after an alleged drunk driving crash killed the school's homecoming king and left his classmate facing felony charges. Blake Unger, 18, a beloved homecoming king and standout athlete from New York Mills High School, was killed on Tuesday when his classmate, Izak Schermerhorn, also 18, crashed his pickup truck while intoxicated. The two had been celebrating their recent graduation when the fatal accident occurred in Bluffton Township in the area of County Highway 75 and 640th Avenue. According to authorities, Schermerhorn had consumed three to four Mike's Hard Lemonades before picking up his friend for a late-night drive. Schermerhorn admitted to intentionally fishtailing on a gravel road and claimed he had been showcasing recent modifications to his truck's exhaust. 'Deputy Peterson observed deep ruts in the road where it appeared the driver had been aggressively fishtailing back and forth along the gravel road,' the criminal complaint reads, Fox9 reported. However, Schermerhorn eventually lost control of his truck, causing the vehicle to flip and roll into a ditch and pinning Unger underneath. Despite efforts to revive him, Unger was pronounced dead at the scene. Schermerhorn, who had reportedly been sober for a year following a past struggle with alcoholism, expressed deep remorse to deputies, stating, 'I f**ked up' and that his life was over 'for a couple of drinks.' His blood alcohol content was measured at 0.13 - well above the legal limit for drivers of any age. He now faces three counts of criminal vehicular homicide - two for driving under the influence and one for gross negligence. A judge released him on $1,000 bail on Thursday, with conditions including counseling and abstaining from alcohol and drugs. Unger was remembered for his athleticism and leadership, particularly his game-saving interception in football and his contributions to the wrestling team He is scheduled to return to court on June 10. Unger was remembered for his athleticism and leadership, particularly his game-saving interception in football and his contributions to the wrestling team. '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.' A GoFundMe fundraiser has since been created to support the family through their loss.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
18-year-old was trying to ‘show off' before crash that killed friend, MN cops say
An 18-year-old told police he was celebrating his high school graduation when he crashed his car, killing his friend, Minnesota authorities said. Izak Schermerhorn was driving recklessly on May 27 before his car flipped into a ditch and fatally pinned Blake Unger, according to a probable cause statement filed in Otter Tail County. Deputies responded to the crash in Bluffton Township at about 10:45 p.m., and Unger was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement read. A deputy noticed 'deep ruts in the road where it appeared the driver had been aggressively fishtailing back and forth along the gravel road before rolling,' according to the statement. The driver, Schermerhorn, had a 'noticeable odor of alcohol' on him, the deputy said. He told the deputy he had 'three or four' Mike's Hard Lemonades that night and said 'his life was over and all for a couple of drinks,' the statement said. He failed a sobriety test, authorities said. Schermerhorn said he picked up Unger earlier just to drive around a little, because 'he wanted to show off the sound of his exhaust because he modified his catalytic converter,' according to the deputy. '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.' 'He further stated that he had abstained for almost a year prior due to issues with alcohol but decided to celebrate because he was graduating from high school,' the deputy said. Schermerhorn is facing three counts of vehicular homicide, records show. Unger and Schermerhorn both attended New York Mills High School and had recently graduated, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported. Unger was an avid athlete, competing in wrestling, baseball and football, the outlet reported. He was also homecoming king during the fall semester. 'We can learn more from sorrow than we can from laughter. All of our hearts are broken … our sadness is gut wrenching - there's a hole, something is missing. I CAN'T IMAGINE this being magnified by infinity as it is for Blake's entire family,' Dinee Dykhoff, a New York Mills teacher, said in a Facebook post. 'Blake was so kind to everyone... big smile (matched his heart and his personality)... so strong... humble... exceptional athlete.' Bluffton Township is a roughly 160-mile drive northwest from Minneapolis.
