The crash was at an intersection of two roads that are both 55 mph zones. Schuneman was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle and Motzko was in the back seat. Cloud Cathedral High School in 2020 and played hockey for the Sioux Falls Stampede in 2020-2021. According to friends of Schuneman who were with him and Motzko on Saturday night, Blue hosted a party at his house, near the crash scene, and offered the men a ride in a Bentley, which crashed on the return trip. On Wednesday afternoon, July 28, Blue appeared at the Orono Police Department, where he was arrested at 4:49 p.m. on probable cause for two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Copyright Marshall Independent | https://www.marshallindependent.com | 508 W. Main St., Marshall, MN 56258 | 507-537-1551. Blue, 51, was found ejected from the car and was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Dec 11, 2021. Jess Myers / The Rink Live, A piece of chrome remained embedded in a tree at the site of a fatal car accident in Orono, Minn. Prosecutors droppedtwo counts of third-degree murderand two separate charges of criminal vehicular homicide as part of a plea deal. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. The crash killed passengers Sam . ORONO James David Blue, 52, the driver of a vehicle that crashed in July, killing two men, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. SUBSCRIBE NOW AND SAVE 3 months just 99/month Show Search Clear Search Query . Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. The Lakewood Fire Department, on its Facebook page, reported that at 9 p.m., it was dispatched to a vehicle fire in the vicinity of the Lakewood Community/Dog Park on Terrace Avenue. The judge will determine whether he will be allowed to post bail, and if so, for what amount. Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555, This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Asked by Schmidt what happened when the traffic light turned green on North Main Street, Voty said she believed the semi briefly stalled. Blue was the driver of a car that crashed into several trees in Orono on July 24 and killed Mack Motzko, 20, and Samuel Schuneman, 24. He also questioned whether she heard any car horns or people screaming at them. We will be making no further statements at this time and ask for privacy as we continue to process and grieve the loss of Mack and Sam.. Blue wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. A Warren County School District student has been charged with having a weapon on school grounds on Tuesday. Cloud hockey community his father had previously been the head coach for the St. Blues personal Facebook page, which on Monday showed pictures taken from his home on Lake Minnetonka, appears to have been deleted. At about 4 p.m. Wednesday, the driver, 51-year-old James Blue, turned himself in at the Orono Police Department. According to friends of Schuneman who were with him and Motzko on Saturday night, Blue hosted a party at his house, just a few doors down from the site of the accident, and offered the men a ride in a Bentley, which crashed on the return trip. Lakewood Fire Department was assisted by Lakewood-Busti Police, Chautauqua County Sheriffs Office, the Fire Investigation Team, and National Grid. They were on their way to the Chautauqua Mall where Voty planned to have lunch with her children before transporting the vehicles on the hauler to Florida. Motzko was a former Cathedral hockey player and his father, Bob Motzko, was the former men's hockey coach at St. He returned to Minnesota often and had been visiting friends this month. Motzko, the oldest son of Minnesota Gophers hockey coach Bob Motzko, had split time in junior hockey between teams in South Dakota and New Mexico last winter. Judge Chu sentences James Blue to 90 months (7.5 years) in prison2/3 of time behind barsafter a deadly crash that killed two men last summer in Orono. I would never ever forgive me, if I was you I dont deserve that, and I understand that. The crash occurred at11:23 p.m. Saturday, July 24,near 3120 North Shore Drive in Orono. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. Thursdays sentencing hearing with Hennepin County District Judge Regina Chu was scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. but was delayed slightly as a result of technical issues. Mack Motzko, 20, was transported to North Memorial Medical Center, where he later died. An investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. Schuneman, of Maple Grove, wasin the passenger seat and died at the scene, while Motzko, who was in the backseat, wastakento North Memorial Hospital. The 51-year-old man is being held on suspicion of two counts of criminal . James Blue in Minnesota We found 14 records for James Blue in Granite Falls, Lakeville and 12 other cities in Minnesota. Hughans body came to rest on West Sixth Street, just west of the Washington Street intersection. Witnesses told police Blue had been drinking shots of liquor and had consumed THC gummies prior to the crash. Frazee man found deceased in Burlington Township ditch Tuesday, Morning headlines: NDSU proposes fewer faculty cuts as plan to fix $7.6M deficit enters phase 2, 5 things to know today: Faculty cuts, Criticizing bills, Repair shop, Funding requests, Backyard chickens. Reach him at 320-255-8772or bmozey@stcloudtimes.com. Originally from the Twin Cities, Schuneman had attended Minnesota State University in Mankato and had moved to the Phoenix area. I had no idea.. Prosecutors dropped two counts of third-degree murder and two separate charges of criminal vehicular homicide as part of the plea deal. Blue was treated for injuries at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale and later released. James David Blue, 51, of Orono, Minn., was driver in crash that killed Sam Schuneman and Mack Motzko, police say. Carlson testified that she performed an alert test on Rolison in the mall parking lot to determine whether there was a presence of alcohol. In court Tuesday, the 52-year-old Blue admitted to Judge Regina Chu that he did shots of tequila and took a THC gummy before speeding out of his driveway and crashing into a grove of trees,. Transcripts were sought by The Post-Journal shortly afterward and obtained this week. The accident happened when a car driven by Blue, 51, went off the road at a high rate of speed and struck a group of trees, according to police. I was freaking out, but those were the words I said, yes., He was turning and it was doing the bump thing. He is being represented by Ned Barone, county public defender, who with Schmidt, questioned Voty and other witnesses during the preliminary hearing in front of City Court Judge John LaMancuso. #right_column_inside #mc_embed_signup .clear {text-align:center;} Barone reaffirmed with Voty that she did not feel anything as the car hauler made the turn onto Sixth Street. He saw her on the sidewalk before we stopped., She added, He just said that he saw her on the sidewalk because I said I saw her and then he said he saw her on the sidewalk and I never saw her on the sidewalk. The crash killed passengers Sam Schuneman, 24, and Mack Motzko, 20, who were wearing seat belts, authorities said. James Blue Has Passed Away - Cause of Death ORONO, Minn. Orono's police chief has identified a young man who died, and the man who was behind the wheel in the crash that also killed the son of U of M men's hockey coach Bob Motzko. The crash, on the night of Saturday, July 24, 2021, claimed the lives of Mack Motzko, 20, and Sam Schuneman, 24. He had plans to play for a team in British Columbia in the coming season. A 51-year-old Orono man was driving near his Lake Minnetonka home when he crashed into a grove of trees, killing two young men who were passengers in his car. While the families are relieved to avoid the trauma of a trial, they remain steadfastly committed to holding Mr. Blue accountable and securing full and complete justice for Mack and Sam.. KSTP-TV, LLC We see that you have javascript disabled. Cloud Times: Driver in crash that killed Mack Motzko, Sam Schuneman pleads guilty, Blue turned himself in to the Orono Police Department, Blue had a blood-alcohol level of 0.175 after the crash, indicated a speed of 94-99 mph seconds before the crash, Minnesota mourns former Cathedral hockey player who died in car crash, Driver in crash that killed Mack Motzko, Sam Schuneman pleads guilty, Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. Police say Blue was speeding and went off North Shore Drive before he struck several trees just after 11 p.m. Schuneman died at the scene, while Motzko and Blue were transported to the. ORONO The Orono Police Department said Friday that lab results show James David Blue, 51, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.175 after a July 24 crash that killed Cathedral High School graduate Mack Motzko and Maple Groveresident Sam Schuneman. At 11:47 p.m. on Saturday night, Orono police reported a fatal accident at the intersection of North Shore Drive and Bohns Point Road. The incident was then upgraded to a motor vehicle accident. The driver, identified as James David Blue, 51, was taken to the hospital with severe injuries after the crash that killed Mack Motzko, 20, son of Gophers hockey coach Bob Motzko, and Sam Schuneman, 24, of Maple Grove. So I thought it was fine I didnt think we hit anybody. Sara Rafaloski, Hughans mother, said in a phone interview this week the family has been kept updated on the investigation and appreciates the work being put in by police and the DAs office. The Orono police press release noted that alcohol and speed appear to be contributing factors in the crash, and the case remains under investigation. A previous police release said they were responding to a single-vehicle accident at 3120 North Shore Drive in Orono. He was scheduled to fly to Phoenix last Friday, but moved the return flight to Sunday morning to spend another day with friends. Police said Schuneman, 24, and Motzko, 20, were both wearing seatbelts. He was killed in a car accident in Orono, Minn., on Saturday, July 24, 2021. The Orono Police Department said in a release that lab results showed Blues blood alcohol content to be 0.175. Originally from the Twin Cities, Schuneman had attended Minnesota State University in Mankato and had moved to the Phoenix area. Jess Myers / The Rink Live. James D. Blue, 51, drove off North Shore Drive on Saturday around 11:20 p.m. near his home, striking trees before being thrown from his 2017 Bentley. Cloud Cathedral High School, helping the Crusaders earn two third-place finishes in the state Class A tournament. Mack Motzko, 20, was transported to North Memorial Medical Center, where he later died. Copyright Post Journal | https://www.post-journal.com | PO Box 3386, Jamestown, NY 14702 | 716-487-1111. Cloud hockey community mourns death of former Cathedral player Mack Motzko. It started like, it stalled out, she said. Asked by Jason Schmidt, Chautauqua County district attorney, if she recalled her specific words at that moment, Voty replied, Yeah, Theres a person, theres a person. I was pretty manic. We are doing everything within our power to protect and preserve our right as a community to ensure that justice is served here.. Addressing the court before his sentence was handed down, Blue said, I just want to state how sorry I am for putting you into the dire situation. She said it was apparent when she arrived on scene that the pedestrian had died due to their injuries. James David Blue, 52, was intoxicated and driving nearly 100 mph when he crashed his 2017 Bentley Flying Spur in a wooded area near Lake Minnetonka last July, according to a criminal complaint . James David Blue, 51, drove off North Shore Drive on Saturday around 11:30 p.m., striking the trees before being thrown from his 2017 Bentley. He had plans to play for a team in British Columbia in the coming season. He had plans to play for a team in British Columbia in the coming season. The driver in the weekend crash that killed two men with deep ties to the Minnesota hockey community was arrested Wednesday after turning himself in to police in a Lake Minnetonka community. The Orono police press release noted that alcohol and speed appear to be contributing factors in the crash, and the case remains under investigation. Fifty-two-year-old James David Blue entered a guilty plea. More: Minnesota mourns former Cathedral hockey player who died in car crash. Chautauqua County Court Judge David Foley, at a hearing Jan. 19, set bail for Rolison at . An Orono man whose two passengers died when he crashed his car into a cluster of trees near his Lake Minnetonka home turned himself into authorities Wednesday and was charged with criminal vehicular homicide. Schmidt said Januarys preliminary hearing was to ensure Rolison was held for grand jury action. James David Blue, 51, drove off North Shore Drive on Saturday around 11:30 p.m., striking the trees before being thrown from his 2017 Bentley. P-J photo by John Whittaker. Crews remained on scene until around 12:30 this morning. Fifty-two-year-old James David Blue entered a guilty plea to two charges of criminal vehicular homicide (operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration 0.08 or more) last month. 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