Boelter pleads guilty in lawmaker attacks, agrees to two life sentences

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

A Moorhead tour bus driver has reached a
plea deal in a 2008 crash that killed a Minnesota high school band
student on Interstate 94.


Loren Ernst, 71,  accepted the plea deal Monday
as he was about to go on trial.

      Ernst was facing two felonies. Instead, he pleaded guilty to a
gross misdemeanor of criminal vehicular operation. Charges of
criminal vehicular injury and criminal vehicular homicide were
dismissed.

      Under the agreement, Ernst faces no more than 30 days in jail.


      Prosecutor Brian Lutes says the parents of Jessica Weishair, the
16-year-old from Pelican Rapids who died in the crash, signed off
on the deal.


      Weishair was killed when the bus went off I-94 and crashed in
Albertville.


      Investigators say Ernst was too tired to be driving that
morning.

Gallery

State Patrol: I-90 bus crash nearly much worse

Prosecutors consider evidence in Minn. bus crash

Austin crash raises new questions about bus safety

Disasters

Minnesota News

Greater Minnesota

A Moorhead tour bus driver has reached a
plea deal in a 2008 crash that killed a Minnesota high school band
student on Interstate 94.


Minn. bus driver accepts plea deal in fatal crash

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox