Otter Tail County, MN (trfnews.i234.me) — A high school graduation celebration turned deadly on May 27, 2025, when 18-year-old Izak Daryn Schermerhorn of New York Mills was arrested after crashing his vehicle, killing his passenger and friend, Blake Unger.
Deputies found the wreck near County Hwy 75 and 640th Avenue in Bluffton Township. Unger was pinned under the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Schermerhorn admitted to “fishtailing” and losing control while trying to show off his car’s modified exhaust.
Schermerhorn, who admitted to drinking Mike’s Hard Lemonades, was visibly intoxicated. Field sobriety tests confirmed impairment, and blood tests later supported the presence of alcohol.
He is now charged with three counts of Criminal Vehicular Homicide, including:
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Operating a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner,
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Driving under the influence of alcohol, and
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Driving with a BAC over .08.
Schermerhorn told police he had been sober for nearly a year but chose to drink to celebrate his graduation. That decision has now left one young life lost and another hanging in the balance.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.