Schermerhorn faces three felony charges

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Less-than one week after receiving his high school diploma, a local teenager is dead following a crash in Bluffton Township on Tuesday night (May 27). 

Blake Unger, age 18, was killed in an accident near the intersection of 370th St and 640th Ave, northwest of Wadena at around 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday night. According to the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, deputies located a truck on its side in a ditch near the intersection. Unger was found dead and pinned under the vehicle.

Unger received his high school diploma just days before the accident that took his life. He graduated from NY Mills High School on Friday, May 23 where he was a three-sport athlete and a member of the NY Mills baseball team that was still competing in the Section 5A tournament. He was also a member of the wrestling and football teams, as well as the Bluffton Braves baseball team and was crowned as the 2024 NY Mills High School homecoming king.

The driver of the truck, 18-year-old Izak Schermerhorn, was located and arrested under suspicion of DWI according to the sheriff’s office. He is facing charges of criminal vehicular homicide, fourth degree DWI and underage drinking and driving.

According to the statement of probable cause, Schermerhorn admitted to being the driver of the vehicle in the accident. He said he picked up Unger at his house and 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. He said the next thing he remembered was calling his mother and attempting to break out of the driver’s side window. 

According to the report, Schermerhorn repeatedly made the statements that “his life was over and all for a couple of drinks.” He admitted that he had drank 3-4 Mike’s Hard Lemonades. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test and had a blood alcohol concentration of .103. While he reportedly had abstained from drinking for almost a year prior to the accident due to issues with alcohol, but decided to celebrate because he was graduating from high school. 

Though not naming the recent NY Mills graduate by name, a post on the NY Mills School Facebook page last week stated counselors were available on the school campus beginning on Wednesday, May 28 and through the remainder of the week for any students who may need help or assistance following the accident.