Prairie Village man sentenced in DWI crash that killed UMKC law grad, student leader

A Jackson County judge sentenced a Prairie Village man Friday to 13 years in prison for a DWI crash that killed a University of Missouri student representative last summer, according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.

Zachary Zorich, 31, previously pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated resulting in the death of Remington Williams, 25.

Around 12:40 a.m. on June 8, Zorich was traveling west on West 75th Street near Ward Parkway at high speed, prosecutors allege. Williams was traveling south on Ward Parkway when Zorich ran through a red light, hitting Williams in the intersection.

Williams was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers who responded to the scene noted that Zorich’s speech was impaired, his eyes were bloodshot, and he swayed on his feet while he stood. Court documents indicate Zorich smelled strongly of alcohol.

His blood alcohol level was later found to be 2.5 times the legal limit, according to documents filed in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Zorich was previously convicted of two other DWI charges — one in Clay County in 2017, and another in Platte County in 2010.

Williams, a student representative for the UM Board of Curators and a recent graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, was on his way to grab some food that evening after a late night of studying for the bar exam, according to a statement from UMKC.

The university called Williams an “exceptional leader and caring human being who accomplished much, driven by a passion for helping others.”

Before the crash, Williams had been working towards his Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Spanish from Georgetown College, where he was student body president.

“Remington was an outstanding individual and a tremendous asset to the Board of Curators,” Board Chair Darryl Chatman said in a previous statement. “He was actively engaged with the students at each of our four universities and worked to amplify their successes, promote their stories and ensure their concerns were heard.”