Dylan Tirschel

By JIM PAUL

Iron Mountain Daily News

IRON MOUNTAIN — A Kingsford man will spend 13 months in prison for causing a crash that killed an 84-year-old woman in March 2024.

Dylan Edward Tirschel, 21, was sentenced Tuesday in Dickinson County Circuit Court after earlier pleading no contest to the felony charge of reckless driving causing death.

According to the complaint, on March 11, 2024, Tirschel was driving north on Carpenter Avenue at more than 62 mph when he struck a vehicle that had begun making a left turn onto F Street. The driver, Judy Schillerstrom, died as a result of her injuries.

Tirschel’s attorney, Anthony Cavalieri, described him as kind and quiet, a hard worker devoted to family who would likely never re-offend.

“My client accepts the consequences of his actions,” Cavalieri said.

Noting the pre-sentencing investigation report recommended a minimum 38-month sentence, Cavalieri asked that Dickinson County Circuit Court Judge Mary Barglind stick with the 13-month sentence reached in the plea agreement.

Dickinson County Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Richards said the most unfortunate part of the situation is it was avoidable. Richards added that Schillerstrom, despite being 84, was living independently and still working at the family business.

“I also know that Mr. Tirschel and his family have been affected by this and will continue to be for some time,” Richards said.“I hope that Mr. Tirschel can find a way to make amends by doing well, learning something from this experience and becoming the best version of himself going forward.”

Richards told Barglind that after speaking with the Schillerstrom family, the prosecution had no objections to staying with a 13-month sentence.

Tirschel apologized in court to the Schillerstrom family.

“I have to live with that day and what happened for the rest of my life and I am truly sorry for what happened,” Tirschel said. “Please forgive me, I would never intentionally hurt someone.”

Barglind told Tirschel that what happened was not an accident in the truest sense of the word, that his actions took the life of a wife, mother and grandmother.

“I think the message has to be sent that speeding through town is going to result in very tragic results,” Barglind said.

But Barglind said the sentence needed to be proportionate.

“My role is to punish Mr. Tirschel for what he did, not for more than he did. Nothing I do will bring back a mother, grandmother, aunt and friend,” Barglind said. “We have already lost a life and I do not want to destroy two.”