Police charge 26-year-old grandson of ex-Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski with DWI in crash that killed 15-year-old

Faith Wardwell, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Apr 20, 2026

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DURHAM, N.C. — Police have charged a 26-year-old man with DWI in a Saturday night crash that killed a 15-year-old boy riding his bike in northwest Durham, court records show.

Joseph Savarino admitted drinking before the crash and faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired, according to court records.

Savarino is the brother of former Duke guard Michael Savarino, who played for the pair’s grandfather and now-retired Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski during his time with the Blue Devils. In 2022, Michael Savarino pleaded guilty to a DWI charge after a traffic stop in Orange County.

Joseph Savarino was driving a Ford Explorer northwest on Cole Mill Road just before 9 p.m. when the juvenile “entered his path” riding an e-bike in the same direction, police said in a news release Monday. The juvenile was struck by the car and died on scene, according to police.

Savarino had a blood alcohol level of 0.11%, above the legal limit of 0.08%, court records show.

Judge Kevin Jones set bail for Savarino at $100,000 on Monday afternoon, the documents state. Savarino also surrendered his driver’s license to the court, as required by North Carolina law.

His next court appearance will be May 20 at 8:45 a.m.

Mother: ‘We will never understand’

In a public Facebook post Sunday night, Allison Bickel O’Shea confirmed her 15-year-old son, Jack, was killed while coming home after going on a routine afternoon bike ride with friends.

Jack was “a boy beyond his years, with a faith that was genuine and entirely his own,” she wrote.

“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,” she wrote. “We are better people because of him, and we will carry him with us always.”

The investigation into Saturday night’s crash remains ongoing, and as of 2 p.m. Monday no other charges had been announced.

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Anyone with any information about the crash is asked to call Officer D. Monroe at 919-257-1189 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200, or online at durhamcrimestoppers.org. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.