WAUPACA, Wis. — A driver convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol received a prison sentence exceeding 35 years for his involvement in a tragic accident that claimed the lives of four siblings. The sentencing took place on Friday, following a devastating crash that occurred last December on a Wisconsin highway.
During the hearing, Judge Raymond Huber expressed how difficult it is to comprehend the loss of four young lives, stating, “It’s incomprehensible to this court to imagine losing four children.” The driver, identified as 48-year-old Scott Farmer from Neenah, had entered a no-contest plea regarding charges of homicide stemming from driving while intoxicated.
Authorities reported that Farmer was traveling against traffic when his truck collided with an SUV in Weyauwega, located roughly 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The unfortunate incident resulted in the deaths of Daniel Gonzalez, 25; his brother Fabian Gonzalez, 23; and their two sisters, Lilian Gonzalez, 14, and Daniela Gonzalez, 9. The siblings were the children of Kurt Schilling, a pastor at Emmaus Lutheran Church in Waupaca, and his wife, Paulina.
Judge Huber remarked on the prevalence of wrong-way drivers on Highway 10, indicating a need for the Department of Transportation to consider potential safety improvements. However, he emphasized that these concerns did not negate Farmer’s responsibility for the accident.
Farmer’s blood-alcohol content was recorded at an alarming 0.34, which is significantly above the legal limit and compounded by previous alcohol-related offenses that further lowered his allowable limit. His defense attorney, John Miller Carroll, described Farmer’s decision to drink excessively at home before taking to the road as “the worst decision of his life,” acknowledging that Farmer failed to recognize the headlights of oncoming traffic on the hazardous roadway.
The four siblings were laid to rest in Ecuador, which is where their mother hails from, marking a poignant end to a heartbreaking chapter for their family.