Driver in fatal Cottonwood bus crash loses appeal

Olga Franco
Olga Franco walks to the courthouse for a hearing to determine whether her trial will be moved out of Kandiyohi County to the Twin Cities in June 2008.
MPR Photo/Mark Steil

The Minnesota Court of Appeals is upholding the conviction of a woman who drove a minivan into a school bus in Cottonwood in February 2008, killing four children and injuring 17.

Olga Franco del Cid claims her then-boyfriend was driving - and she was a passenger. But a Kandiyohi County jury convicted her of 24 counts, including four counts of criminal vehicular homicide.

Franco del Cid argued on appeal that the evidence against her was insufficient.

The Appeals Court rejected that Tuesday, saying there was enough evidence for the jury to find her guilty. The court says when both sides give conflicting evidence, it's up to a jury to determine what to believe.

Franco del Cid raised other arguments on appeal, which were also rejected.

The 26-year-old Franco del Cid is serving a 12½-year prison sentence. Her attorney had no immediate comment.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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