'I’m sure that he regrets it more than anything': Daughter forgives driver accused of killing her parents

Three Arlington children are dealing with one of the most difficult tragedies imaginable after investigators say a suspected drunk driver hit and killed their parents.

Karen Schmidt remembers telling her parents goodnight before they left to walk to the store early in the morning on Jan. 20. She could have never known what would happen in the coming hours.

 "It was just that, like, sick feeling of dread that just hits you automatically," she said.

The trip should have taken minutes, but instead hours ticked by without her parents returning home. 

Schmidt says when the morning came, she helped her younger brothers get to school, and then walked the same path her parents took.

"I walked up and saw the police cars. I saw everyone there, and I just, part of me it just clicked, it was a realization,’ she said.

Investigators say a suspected drunk driver hit and killed her parents as they walked along State Route 9 in Arlington.

Now, 17-year-old Schmidt had to do what no teenager should have to do.

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Arlington police, firefighters create fundraiser for 3 kids left orphaned by drunk driver

Police and fire agencies in Arlington have created a GoFundMe to help three children that were left parentless because of a suspected drunk driver. 

 "We had to tell him (her 8-year-old brother) that his parents were gone, you know? That they weren’t coming back. And I think, honestly, it’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do," she said.

Schmidt, and her younger brothers 15-year-old Matthew Schmidt and 8-year-old Ozland Wilkerson are now staying with their grandparents in Coupeville. 

Schmidt says she thinks her parents would be proud of how she is helping to care for her siblings.

"It’s a crazy shift from having to be, you know, someone’s kid one day, to the next day now you’re in charge of two little boys that you aren’t sure what to do with sometimes," she said. 

Schmidt has dealt with so much, but she says she is sharing her story because she wants the driver to know she forgives him.

"I’m sure that he regrets it more than anything. Getting in that car that night and driving, because not only did it change a whole bunch of people’s lives, but it changed his life as well"

Life can change in an instant, Schmidt hopes anyone who hears her story will take advantage of the time that you have with the people you care about.

"Tell your family that you love them. Give them hugs and spend time with them. Cherish the memories you have," she said. 

Police and fire agencies in Arlington created a GoFundMe to help Schmidt and her brothers. So far, the fund has raised more than $40,000.

If you are interested in donating click here

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