A Minnesota teen is facing three counts of criminal vehicular homicide following an automobile accident that left his passenger dead just days after graduation.
Izak Schermerhorn was officially charged Thursday for the events that lead to the death of 18-year-old Blake Unger, who was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the accident. According to police, Schermerhorn lost control of the vehicle he was driving near Bluffton Township. Schermerhorn told police that he had a modified exhaust system and wanted to show it off, so he had been intentionally sliding around the road and fishtailing before losing control of the vehicle that ended up rolling into a ditch. Unger was pinned under the vehicle during the crash.
Police suspected that Schermerhorn was intoxicated at the time of the crash, and he confirmed he had consumed alcohol prior to getting in the vehicle.
“[Schermerhorn] repeatedly made statements that ‘his life was over and all for a couple of drinks.’ In addition, that ‘he f—ed up.’ When asked how much he had to drink, he stated “three to four Mike’s Hard Lemonades.”
Underage DUI
A preliminary breath test revealed that Schermerhorn had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.13, which is more than one and a half times the legal limit for an of-age driver.
Police noted that Schermerhorn told them that he had stopped drinking over the previous year due to a problem with alcohol, but he decided to celebrate that night because he was graduating. His school had held their gradation ceremony just days before the crash.
Unger was a multi-sport athlete and homecoming king at New York Mills High School. A Memorial service is set for Wednesday.
As for Schermerhorn, he had his first appearance on Thursday and is set to return to the courtroom on June 10. It appears that he has posted the $1,000 cash bail amount, as he is no longer listed on the Otter Tail County jail roster. Along with posting bail, Schermerhorn is required to seek counseling, not use drugs or alcohol, and stay out of further trouble. We’ll keep tabs on this case as it continues, but it appears that two young lives have been forever changed because of one poor decision.
Don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve had any amount of alcohol and are under the age of 21. With that said, if you or someone you know ends up making a poor choice and needs help navigating the criminal justice system, we can be a resource. Reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
