Jury Finds Driver Not Guilty in Deaths of 2 Students

(BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — A jury has found a Bellingham man not guilty on vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges in connection with crashing his vehicle into four high school students in 2015.

The Bellingham Herald reports the jury returned the verdict after deliberating for about five hours Wednesday in the case against 35-year-old William Jeffrey Klein.

He was accused of falling asleep at the wheel on June 10 and striking the students on a sidewalk.

Eighteen-year-old Shane Ormiston and 15-year-old Gabriel Anderson died at the scene. Seventeen-year-olds Michael Brewster and Kole Randall were seriously injured.

Prosecutors argued Klein drove with disregard for the safety of others by driving when tired.

The defense argued obstructive sleep apnea caused him to fall into a deep sleep without warning.