OMAHA, Neb. — An Omaha man accused of being drunk and driving 20 mph over the speed limit when he fatally hit a woman in the city’s Blackstone entertainment district will not face a vehicular homicide charge, the county’s top prosecutor said.
Police have said William Wright, 30, had a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit to drive when he hit 20-year-old Kaitlyn Van Essen of Omaha around 2 a.m. Dec. 4.
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Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said in a statement Wednesday that because Van Essen was also drunk and crossing the street against a “do not walk” sign at the time of the crash, he would not be able to prove that Wright’s being drunk was the primary cause of Van Essen’s death.
Instead, Kleine will refer the case to Omaha city prosecutors to consider DUI and other traffic charges against Wright.
