2 local YouTube creators killed in Upper Macungie Twp. crash, 3rd recovering

UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Two local YouTube creators were killed and a third was critically injured in a crash in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County this past weekend.

According to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office, the crash occurred around 4 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Hamilton Boulevard (Route 222) and Folk Road when their sedan collided with a tractor-trailer.

Twenty-five-year-old Christopher Schaffer and 22-year-old Patrick Phyrillas, both of Reading, were pronounced dead at the scene. They were both graduates of Antietam Senior High School.

The coroner's office said both victims were passengers in their vehicle.

The cause of death was determined to be blunt force head injuries due to a motor vehicle collision. The manner of death was an accident.

Patrick Phyrillas' 25-year-old brother James was also in the vehicle. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and then upgraded to stable condition, the Lehigh Valley Health Network confirmed to NPR.

On Tuesday night, James tweeted he was back home after being released from the hospital.

"Home now after 3 days in the hospital, with my ribs fractured, my lung punctured, my body bruised, my heart broken. Patrick and Chris were my best friends. Been trying to wrap my head around why I was spared. Where I go from here," James tweeted.

He continued, "I could say so many things about both of them but the thought of doing so, especially in a public forum, makes me weep uncontrollably. Please allow me to mourn them both in private."

The three are credited with creating the YouTube channel "Schaffrillas Productions," coined using a combination of their last names. The brothers and their friend post videos of animation and television/movie reviews on their YouTube channel, which began in 2015.

A GoFundMe page was started by Chris Schaffer's fiancée Amber on behalf of his family for funeral arrangements and other expenses.

"Many of you know Chris as SpaceChris7 or a member of the Schaffrillas Production team. His humor and kindness have touched the hearts of many. He was a wonderful son, brother, friend, partner, and so much more," the GoFundMe post read.

The goal for the fundraiser was $10,000.

In 21 hours, it raised over $33,000.

"Thank you all for your condolences, kind words, and donations to Chris' funeral expenses. Patrick should have a GoFundMe of his own soon and I'll post it when it's live. I had no idea the two of them were so loved by so many people," James Phyrillas tweeted.

James said he will most likely be returning to making more YouTube videos as he "needs a sense of normality to occupy my days...I believe they both would have wanted me to continue my work."

He also said both Chris and Patrick will appear in a couple more videos which were recorded before the crash that will be posted to their YouTube channel.

"Those aside, I will take my time brainstorming ways to preserve their legacy, be it charitable endeavors or otherwise. I owe them this much, given how I unjustly was the only one to walk away unscathed," James tweeted.

He ended his Twitter thread with this message to his fans, "Thanks again for all your kind words. Please don't judge me to trying to continue my jovially toned videos. I don't know how else to be. I have been torn apart on the inside and I need to cope in my own way. Thank you."

The Schaffrillas YouTube channel has over 1.6 million subscribers. Their Twitter account has over 148,000 followers.

On social media, as NPR reported, fans have been posting a popular segment of their review of Shrek 2.

The crash remains under investigation by the coroner's office, the Upper Macungie Township Police Department, and the Lehigh County Crash Reconstruction Task Force with assistance from the Lehigh County District Attorney's Office.