Minn. Teen Won't Be Tried As Adult In Triple Fatal

WINONA, Minn. (AP) -- A Minnesota teen won't be tried as an adult in a crash last spring that left three classmates dead and a fourth with serious injuries.

Winona County Judge Jeffrey Thompson says the community would benefit little from certifying the 18-year-old as an adult, and that he could benefit from programming in the juvenile system if he's convicted.

The Winona Daily News reports the teen will face a jury as a juvenile under extended jurisdiction, a blend of juvenile and adult court in Minnesota. He would receive both a juvenile and an adult sentence if convicted.

The Lewiston-Altura High School student was 17 at the time of the accident last April. Deputies say a 16-year-old girl was driving a vehicle that clipped the boy's pickup when she tried to pass him at 90 mph. Her vehicle rolled in a ditch. She and two girls in her vehicle died, and a fourth was hurt.

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