On Sunday in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh County, two of the creators of Schaffrillas Productions, a well-known YouTube channel, perished in a car accident.
Patrick Phyrillas, 22, and Christopher Schaffer, 25, were declared deceased at the crash scene. According to a news release from the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office, they were both passengers in the car and passed away from blunt-force head injuries.
According to Brian Downs, a Lehigh Valley Health Network representative, Patrick’s 25-year-old brother James Phyrillas was in stable condition in the hospital on Tuesday.
According to the police, a commercial tractor-trailer struck their car as it crossed an intersection. The absence of a traffic light at the crossroads where the collision took place was confirmed by police to NPR.
Local authorities are currently looking into what caused the accident. According to police, as of Tuesday, they were unaware of the status of the second driver.
The Schaffrillas editing team’s Twitter account broadcast the crash news on social media and announced that all videos had been put on hold.
I have some very sad, unfortunate news to deliver.
Yesterday, James Phyrillas aka Schaffrillas, his friend Chris Schaffer, and his brother Patrick Phyrillas, were all involved in a car crash in Leigh County.
Chris and Patrick have died, and James is in critical condition.
— Perfectly Cut YouTube Poop Moments (@PerfectCutPoop) January 30, 2023
Fans shared their shock, sympathies, and wishes for James’ quick recovery, primarily using the hashtag #PrayForSchaffrillas. To pay for the family’s funeral costs, Schaffer’s partner established a GoFundMe.
James Phyrillas and Chris Schaffer’s last names were combined to create Schaffrillas Productions. The channel first made “YouTube Poop” videos in 2015, which are video mashups that blend existing material for comic or sarcastic impact.
The channel now focuses on animations and analytical videos. More than 1.6 million people subscribe to the track.
An audience favorite is their Shrek 2 analysis video, which viewers have shared in light of the channel’s influence.
What’s happening with Schaffrillas broke me. I was watching his Shrek 2 video a few days ago and his ending piece is still one of the most poignant messages I’ve seen on YouTube. pic.twitter.com/auNBavur7V
— Crimson Mayhem (@Crimson_Mayhem_) January 30, 2023