BISMARCK, ND — Two Bismarck men have been arrested in connection with an early October street racing crash that left two teenagers dead, according to police. Cameron Kenton Schestler, 19, faces two felony counts of manslaughter, along with charges of reckless endangerment with extreme indifference and aggravated reckless driving.
Sidney Payne Seidel, 19, was also arrested and faces charges of child neglect, reckless driving and reckless endangerment with extreme indifference. The Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the charges Friday, and it was not immediately clear when either man will appear for a first court hearing.
Police said the case centers on a crash that unfolded on Oct. 2 near West Main Avenue and Center Street, close to the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
Investigators say the crash happened during a race on West Main Avenue
According to a Bismarck Police Department release, Schestler and Seidel were driving west on Main Avenue at high speeds before the collision. Schestler was behind the wheel of a 2011 Infiniti EX35, while Seidel was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Impala.
Police say Schestler struck a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox that was trying to turn north from eastbound Main onto Missouri Avenue. A police spokesman told the Bismarck Tribune that investigators believe Schestler and Seidel were racing each other.
Investigators also said there was no indication that the people in the Equinox were involved in street racing, and that Schestler and Seidel did not know the passengers in that vehicle.
Two Mandan teenagers died and a 15-year-old driver was injured
The crash killed Taylor Fisher, 16, and Benjamin Moch, 17, both from Mandan, police said. They were riding in the back seat of the Equinox.
The SUV was being driven by a 15-year-old boy from Mandan, according to police. He and Schestler both suffered serious injuries, but authorities said each was later released from medical care.
Police said nobody in either vehicle was wearing a seat belt. Investigators added that the speed of Schestler’s vehicle sharply reduced the time the Equinox driver had to see the approaching car and react before impact.
Police say Seidel was speeding with an infant and another passenger in his car
Law enforcement said the behavior in the minutes before the crash went beyond the collision itself. Before the impact, Schestler and Seidel reportedly passed other vehicles in an area of the roadway that was not intended for traffic.
Police also said Seidel had an infant and another passenger in his vehicle while speeding. That detail added to the list of charges filed against him, including child neglect.
Authorities have not publicly said what led to the racing or how long the two drivers had been traveling at high speed before the crash near the bridge corridor.
Manslaughter charges carry prison time and a fine under North Dakota law
The two manslaughter counts against Schestler each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. The remaining charges against him include reckless endangerment with extreme indifference and aggravated reckless driving.
Seidel’s charges include reckless driving and reckless endangerment with extreme indifference, in addition to child neglect. Court records were not immediately available to show whether either defendant had entered a plea.
The charges were filed by the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s Office after police completed part of their investigation into the fatal crash. Officials have not said whether additional charges could be pursued.
Deadly racing cases have also drawn attention in the Fargo area this year
The Bismarck case comes amid other deadly crashes in North Dakota that investigators have linked to street racing and car-club activity. In the Fargo area, law enforcement has pointed to two separate fatal incidents this year involving fast driving and large gatherings of vehicles.
One of those cases involves Cornelio Christian Vasquez, 19, of Grand Forks, who faces a long list of charges, including homicide while fleeing police, in connection with an Aug. 23 crash that killed Ian Frye, 49, of Christine, North Dakota. Deputies were breaking up a group of about 100 vehicles gathered south of Fargo when that crash occurred.
Another deadly incident involved Elijah Baumann, 24, of Moorhead, who died after leading officers on a chase through Fargo and crashing into motorcyclist Isaac Putney, 19, of Fargo. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said Baumann was “either a supporter or associated with the street racing group 701’s Most Wanted Crew.”