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Who is Joseph Savarino? 5 things to know as Coach K's grandson charged in DWI crash that killed 15-year-old boy
Joseph Savarino, the 26-year-old grandson of Duke basketball legend Mike Krzyzewski has been charged with a misdemeanor DWI.
A fatal crash in Durham has drawn widespread attention after Joseph Savarino, the 26-year-old grandson of Duke basketball legend Mike Krzyzewski, was charged with driving while impaired. The incident involved a teenage boy riding an electric bike who later died. Here’s what we know about the incident:
Joseph Savarino is the grandson of Coach K
Joseph Savarino is the grandson of Mike Krzyzewski who is widely known as “Coach K” and is one of the most celebrated coaches in college basketball. He is a son of Krzyzewski's daughter Debbie and Peter Savarino.
He is accused of striking a 15-year-old boy on an e-bike
According to WXII 12 News, just before 9pm local time on Saturday night, Savarino was driving a Ford Explorer north on Cole Mill Road in Durham when he allegedly struck a 15-year-old boy named Jack O'Shea who was riding an electric bicycle near the intersection of Cole Mill Road and Wyndham Lane. The boy later died from his injuries.
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He blew over the legal limit
As reported by WXII, public records show that Joseph Savarino had a blood alcohol content of 0.11 in a breathalyzer test conducted around 12:45am local time Sunday. The legal limit in North Carolina is 0.08. He has been charged with a misdemeanor DWI.
According to the The News & Observer, Savarino will next appear in court the morning of May 20.
He is currently behind bars on a $100,000 bond
According to reports, authorities are holding Savarino at the Durham County Detention Center on a $100,000 secured bond. A judge has also issued an order to revoke his driver's license. Joseph's brother Michael was also charged in 2022 with DWI and sentenced to 12 months of probation and 24 hours of community service, according to Wral.
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15-year-old's mother expresses grief
Savarino currently faces a DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) charge.
The loss has deeply affected the victim’s family. Allison O’Shea, the mother of 15-year-old Jack shared an emotional message remembering her son.
“It is with unfathomable sadness that Chris and I share that our perfect, smart, athletic, fearless and handsome baby boy, Jack, passed away yesterday, April 18th, at just 15 years old,” Allison O’Shea mother Jack wrote of her late son in her Facebook post. “We are finding comfort in what was his last perfect day"
“We will never understand why his time here was so short or why he was needed so soon, but we have to hold onto our faith that he is now our angel. We are better people because of him, and we will carry him with us always," she added.
