Scott Charles Farmer (inset bottom center) in a Waupaca County Jail mug shot, Kurt Schilling’s son Noah, Kurt’s wife Paulina and Kurt (top left to right), Daniela, Fabian, Lilian (top right) and (bottom right) Daniel Gonzalez (WLUK/screengrab)
A wrong-way driver with a bottle of vodka next to him in plain view was so intoxicated that he told responding investigators it was “the 12th of February” after he crashed into an SUV last weekend and killed four members of a family, each of the victims siblings, Wisconsin authorities allege.
The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office said that Scott Charles Farmer, a 47-year-old from Neenah, was drunk when he drove in his pickup truck on Highway 10 in Weyauwega and crashed into the Gonzalez children’s SUV head-on around 9:13 p.m. last Saturday, Dec. 16, killing 25-year-old Daniel E. Gonzalez, 23-year-old Fabian A. Gonzalez, 14-year-old Lilian P. Gonzalez and 9-year-old Daniela E. Gonzalez.
As deputies investigated the fatal crash that killed the Gonzalez siblings, Scott Farmer allegedly reeked of alcohol and had a “large,” “open” bottle of vodka next to his leg inside his vehicle, the criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime detailed.
When questioned about what led to the collision, the defendant allegedly said “I just spun out” and “I didn’t hit anybody.” From there, Farmer allegedly acted belligerently towards responding firefighters and later tried to fight hospital staff. The defendant is further accused of admitting he had “a lot” to drink and believing that the date of the crash was “the 12th of February.”
“I could smell a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from inside of the vehicle. I observed Scott to have bloodshot and glassy (or watery) eyes. His eyelids were droopy. He had a very slow, thick, and slurred speech. His speech was incoherent at times and his sentences would trail off so I could not understand them. His facial movements were slow and delayed, specifically his facial and eye movements,” said a law enforcement officer identified as Deputy Malueg. “He also would not listen when asked to stay still in his seat. He attempted to crawl over to the passenger side of the vehicle at one point. These observations are all indicative of impairment, more specifically impairment caused by consuming alcohol.”
The deputy said that it was difficult to understand what Scott was saying while he was in an ambulance, but it was clear that he used an expletive when estimating how fast he was driving prior to the crash.
“I asked him how fast he thought he was going before he crashed. He replied, ‘F—ing 75’. I could not understand the rest of his responses,” the deputy said. “At one point, he asked why it mattered. He also asked why I wanted to fight him. I advised him that I didn’t want to fight him. I simply wanted to ask him questions due to causing a crash.”
After the crash, the victims’ mother Paulina and stepfather Kurt Schilling, a couple with nine kids between them, told local Fox affiliate WLUK that they are leaning on their faith to give them strength during this devastating time and the weeks, months, and years to come.
Kurt Schilling said his wife “will never be the same” and that the suspected drunk driver “destroyed our lives.”
“All I would say is, that he and all people who might drink for many bad reasons, to excess, or other drugs, would be responsible and think of others, because you really destroyed our lives,” the grieving stepfather said.
A GoFundMe campaign started by a cousin of the victims said the family has “faced a great loss” and that they their loved ones, “gone far too soon,” will be missed “terribly.”
“My cousins were loved by all who knew them, both in Wisconsin and in our Indigenous community of Saraguro, Ecuador, where my family is originally from,” wrote Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe. “Daniel (25) and Fabian (23) served as milk technicians in a local dairy farm in Washer County, enjoyed playing traditional Andean music with their uncles, cousins, and friends and frequenting Culver’s with their siblings and cousins. Lilian (14) and Daniela (9) were in the 9th and 4th grade, respectively, and enjoyed going to school, going back to Ecuador to visit their family, and making TikTok shorts for fun.”
The cousin said that the GoFundMe was launched to help pay for funeral services in Wisconsin and the costs of burying the victims in Ecuador. The campaign has raised more than $48,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
A separate GoFundMe, which has raised more than $100,000, identified Kurt Schilling as the pastor of Emmaus Lutheran Church.
On Wednesday, Schilling posted a moving video of family members and friends gathered at the hospital for a “Hero Walk for Daniel Gonzalez.” The video showed the moments Daniel Gonzalez’s remains were solemnly taken to a helicopter so that others in need of organ donations might live.
“Please join us for a special send off. Daniel Gonzalez, the oldest of his siblings that were killed in the Fatal Weyauwega Crash last Saturday night, will be giving his gifts of organs and tissues that will save some lives and have an impact on many others,” Daniel’s family said. “Donors have been found for all of his organs and his body will be flown by helicopter to Madison where a team of specialists will be waiting to begin the procedure. His gifts may impact over 100 people. Help us turn this horrific tragedy into a great blessing for families in need.”
Daniel Gonzalez, Daniela Gonzalez, Lilian Gonzalez, Fabian Gonzalez (GoFundMe/Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe)
Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show that Scott Farmer faces four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, one count of operating a vehicle with a revoked license, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated for the fifth time.
The defendant was booked into the Waupaca County Jail at 10:23 a.m. on Sunday, the inmate roster shows. Farmer appeared in court the next day via Zoom and his bond was set at $750,000. He remains in custody and is expected to appear in court against the day after Christmas.
Public defender Alex Gelhar appeared on Farmer’s behalf for the Monday hearing, records say.
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