Driver accused of street racing at nearly 90 mph before crash that killed 2 teens, police say

MANDAN, N.D. (KFYR/Gray News) — Two men charged in connection with a high-speed crash in North Dakota that killed two teenagers made their initial court appearances Monday afternoon.

Investigators said street racing and speeds reaching nearly 90 miles an hour led to the crash that killed two Mandan high school students earlier this month.

In court, a judge set bond for the men Monday and imposed other restrictions.

Suspects appear via Zoom

Nineteen-year-olds Cameron Schestler and Sidney Seidel appeared via Zoom in a Burleigh County courtroom Monday afternoon facing multiple felony charges.

According to court documents, the two were in separate vehicles racing westbound down Main Avenue West on Friday, Oct. 2. Crash analysis and surveillance video show both driving well over the speed limit and using the median to pass other drivers.

Crash details

Police said Schestler’s Infiniti slammed into a Chevy Equinox turning onto Center Street at roughly 88 miles an hour. The impact killed the two passengers in the Equinox: 16-year-old Taylor Fisher and 17-year-old Benjamin Moch. The 15-year-old driver survived.

Schestler’s vehicle ended up in a car dealership’s parking lot. He suffered serious injuries.

Seidel and his passenger stopped to help. Police said Seidel also had a 4-month-old baby in the back seat.

Prior citations revealed

In court, prosecutors revealed both drivers had recent high-speed citations in Bismarck. Schestler was cited for driving 25 miles an hour over the limit less than a month before the crash.

Prosecutors revealed Seidel was pulled over for driving up to 35 miles an hour over the limit one day before the fatal collision.

Charges and bond

Schestler is charged with two counts of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and aggravated reckless driving. Because the victims were minors, the manslaughter charges carry a mandatory minimum requirement to serve 85% of any sentence without parole and to register as an offender against children. His bond was set at $100,000 in cash.

Prosecutors requested that same amount for Seidel, but his defense argued he works full-time, has local ties and voluntarily reported to Bismarck police detectives.

The judge set Seidel’s bond at $20,000 cash on charges of reckless endangerment, child neglect and reckless driving.

Both men are restricted to Burleigh and Morton counties under pretrial supervision, with orders to have zero contact with the victims’ families or the surviving 15-year-old driver. Seidel is barred from contacting his infant child unless permitted by the Burleigh County Human Service Zone.