BELLINGHAM — Attorneys for a Washington man on trial for vehicular homicide say a sleep disorder, not drowsy driving, led to the fatal crash.
The Bellingham Herald reported that prosecutors and defense attorneys agree that William Klein, 35, of Bellingham, fell asleep at the wheel last June and ran into four high school boys on a Ferndale sidewalk.
The crash killed Shane Ormiston, 18, and Gabriel Anderson, 15, and seriously hurt two other boys.
Sleep disorder expert Dr. Donald Berry testified Monday that Klein has obstructive sleep apnea, wakes up 20-30 times an hour and suffers from “pathological sleepiness.”
A second expert testified that people with sleep disorders often believe they are alert when their bodies need sleep. The defense says Klein didn’t realize how tired he was while driving.
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