This week, a teenage boy from Minnesota was driving under the influence and demonstrating a new modification to his pickup truck’s exhaust system when he lost control of the vehicle, resulting in the death of his classmate who was riding with him.
Charges were brought against 18-year-old Izak Schermerhorn on Thursday, accused of three counts of criminal vehicular homicide for the incident that claimed the life of 18-year-old Blake Unger. Unger was thrown out of the truck during the rollover and tragically ended up trapped under it, according to a report by KMSP.
Unger was pronounced dead at the scene, the Minneapolis Star Tribune said.
A criminal complaint said that the truck was “fishtailing” on the gravel road before the Tuesday crash, KMSP said.
According to the complaint, Deputy Peterson noticed significant tire marks on the road, indicating that the driver had been recklessly swerving back and forth on the gravel surface before the fatal rollover occurred.
Schemerhorn reportedly told deputies he “intentionally had been sliding around the road befoer the crash and was not able to control the vehicle when it went into the ditch.”
According to the complaint, Scermerhorn was concerned that “his life was oer and all for a couple of drinks,” saying “he f***** up.”
He told deputies he drank three or four Mike’s Hard Lemonades beefore the crash to celebrate his recent high school graduation.
A breathalizer test found Schermerhorn’s blood alcohol level was at 0.103 percent, higher than the legal limit for adult drivers, the Star Tribune reported. Drivers under 21 aren’t allowed to have any alcohol in their systems.
Schermerhorn was arraigned on Thursday and released on a $1,000 cash bond provided he seeks counseling, doesn’t use drugs or alcohol, and stays out of further trouble.
Unger, the victim, was a multi-sport athlete and homecoming king. Both Unger and Schemerhorn graduated from New York Mills High School last Friday.
