Man Charged With Causing Crash That Killed Two Men Including Mack Motzko

(KNSI) – An Orono man is accused of crashing his car and killing a recent graduate of St. Cloud Cathedral High School.

Prosecutors charged 51-year-old James Blue with four counts of criminal vehicular homicide on Monday. Blue was driving his Bentley on July 24 when he crashed, killing 20-year-old Mack Motzko and 24-year-old Sam Schuneman.

Mack is the son of former St. Cloud State University and current Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko.

Investigators say a blood test showed Blue’s blood alcohol content was 0.175, more than twice the legal limit to drive. The complaint states THC gummies, several crushed-up pills, and five green capsules were also found in Blue’s pocket. Police say Blue was driving between 94 and 99 mph at the time of the crash. The speed limit in the area was 35 mph.

According to a criminal complaint, police were called to a crash on the 3100 block of North Shore Drive just before 11:30 p.m.

They found two men inside the car – a 24-year-old who was “obviously deceased” and a 20-year-old in the back seat who was “unconscious and struggling to breathe.”

The 20-year-old, later identified as Mack, was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Investigators say both men were wearing seatbelts.

Blue was ejected from the vehicle. The complaint states he repeatedly said “I’m sorry” to officers and admitted he had been drinking and was “guilty.”

According to court records, a woman who was with the two men that night said they were at a party at Blue’s house, and Blue was showing the two men his Bentley.

Mack graduated from Cathedral High School in 2020. His father coached the Huskies for 13 seasons before taking over the Gophers’ program in 2018.

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