The teen driver charged in a crash that killed a recent New York Mills graduate has pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide.
Court documents filed November 26 show Izak Daryn Schermerhorn admitted guilt to one count of criminal vehicular homicide for operating a vehicle negligently while under the influence of both alcohol and THC.
The charge stems from the May 27 crash in Otter Tail County that killed Blake Unger.
Under the plea deal, Schermerhorn will receive a stay of imposition of the presumptive felony sentence. The court will dismiss all other charges at sentencing.
The agreement requires him to serve 180 days in jail with work-release privileges. He may serve the sentence in any Minnesota jail that accepts him, as long as he pays the associated costs.
Additional conditions include paying a court-determined fine along with a $75 surcharge and a $10 law library fee, completing a comprehensive assessment and following its recommendations, attending individual counseling as long as required by his therapist, and completing a MADD impact panel or a similar program.
Schermerhorn must also pay restitution set by the court and submit a DNA sample if required by law. He will be placed on supervised probation for up to 10 years and cannot commit any same or similar violations during probation.
The plea petition was signed November 25 and filed November 26.
Schermerhorn admitted he was intentionally sliding around the road to show off his modified exhaust system before losing control and going into the ditch. He said he had avoided alcohol for nearly a year but wanted to celebrate graduating high school.
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