BALLSTON SPA — Dennis Drue, the 22-year-old Halfmoon man accused of causing a crash on the Northway that killed two Shenendehowa High School students, was charged Monday with more than 50 felonies by authorities who alleged he was driving while impaired by alcohol and marijuana.

Judge Jerry Scarano unsealed a 59-count indictment against Drue in a Saratoga County courtroom packed with family and friends of the victims. The Dec. 1 crash caused weeks of mourning and inspired an emotional candlelight rally at Shenendehowa High School that was attended by thousands of students and parents.

The crash killed Shenendehowa seniors Chris Stewart, a standout football player, and Deanna Rivers, a member of the school's softball team. Two others, Bailey Wind, Stewart's girlfriend and a diver at Shaker High School, and Matt Hardy, Rivers' boyfriend and a football teammate of Stewart's, were seriously injured.

The indictment said Drue drank alcohol and smoked marijuana in the hours prior to the crash and engaged in reckless driving. Drue pleaded not guilty to 52 felonies, including several counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter, as well as six misdemeanors and a violation for marijuana possession. The Siena College student faces a maximum of 25 years in prison.

Drue posted $50,000 bail, and Scarano released him on the grounds that Drue surrender his shotgun and driver's license and remain in the area.

State Police arrested Drue on a warrant Friday evening in his home after a county grand jury voted to indict him. He spent the weekend in county jail.

Monday's arraignment was the first time the Saratoga County District Attorney's Office detailed evidence collected against Drue, including marijuana, paraphernalia and the remains of a marijuana cigarette they say was in Drue's car at the time of the crash.

In the minutes after the fatal crash, police recovered a small amount of marijuana in Drue's vehicle and a bank statement showing Drue, who was unemployed, had tens of thousands of dollars in an account, Murphy said. Prosecutors noted Drue adamantly tried to gain access to two keys for a safety deposit box.

"One wonders the source of that money," District Attorney James A. Murphy III said.

Assistant Saratoga County District Attorney James Davis said Drue told police when he was arrested that he thought the charges were trumped up for the media.

"He's not taking the charges seriously," Davis told the court.

Drue allegedly rear-ended Stewart's Ford Explorer, sending the SUV rolling across three lanes of traffic and into the highway median. Stewart, Rivers, Hardy and Wind, all 17, had attended a University at Albany-Siena men's basketball game and were less than a mile from Stewart's home when the crash occurred.

The crash left broken hearts across the Shen and Shaker communities and prompted waves of support from around the country.

On Monday, many of the more than one dozen relatives and friends of the victims in court wore green-and-white ribbons or Shen athletic clothing. Some fought back tears as Drue was led into the courtroom in a dark green jail outfit, denim jacket and large belt around his waist. None of the family members who attended Drue's arraignment spoke with the media afterward, though, reached by phone, Matt Hardy's mother, Patricia, said she "hopes that justice is served."

"I don't wish this upon anybody," she said. "But if you are responsible for something like this, you need to be held accountable."

Drue's lawyer, Steve Coffey, said his client committed no crimes in what he called a "tragic accident." He said his office had not received any toxicology or traffic reports from prosecutors. "We've been given no information," he said.

Coffey described as ludicrous Davis' statement that Drue wasn't taking the proceedings seriously. Coffey hinted that he might apply for a change of venue in the case.

The indictment offers four paths to prosecution: Drue's alleged use of alcohol, pot, the combination of alcohol and pot, and eyewitness accounts, Murphy said.

Law enforcement authorities had said initial blood alcohol content tests on Drue did not indicate a high-enough level to charge him with driving while intoxicated. But Murphy said Monday the test was conducted in a hospital hours after the crash. He also claimed toxicology tests indicated Drue was actively feeling the effects of smoking marijuana when he rear-ended Stewart's vehicle.

"Pot is a big deal when you drive," Murphy said Monday. Marijuana affects reaction times, motor control and the ability to judge distances, he said. Prosecutors need only prove "impairment to any extent" in cases involving driving under the influence of drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol, Murphy said.

State Police Troop G Bureau of Criminal Investigation Capt. Steven James said police were investigating if Drue was texting at the time of the crash. Preliminary State Police reconstruction of the accident showed Drue was speeding, Murphy said.

Davis told Scarano that Drue had accumulated 22 traffic tickets in the Capital Region, including a dozen for speeding, from June 2007 through September 2012. He was involved in four other car accidents — three in Troy and one in Cohoes — from July 2007 to February 2009. Scarano adjourned the case for 45 days so the defense can review evidence and make motions. No return date was set.