Graduation celebration ends in tragedy as homecoming king is 'killed by his friend in drunk driving crash'
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.
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