Driver found guilty in crash that killed 3

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — A man accused of causing a crash that killed three Chinese graduate students in western Ohio was convicted Tuesday of three counts of vehicular homicide.

After 12 days of testimony, a Clark County Common Pleas Court jury deliberated for just longer than two hours before finding Jason Skaggs, 36, of Urbana, guilty.

He also was convicted of two counts of aggravated vehicular assault. He faces up to 34 years in prison when he is sentenced today.

The Urbana University students were killed March 8, 2007, when Skaggs’ sport utility vehicle hit another SUV, went airborne and caused a nine-vehicle accident at a traffic light, according to the State Highway Patrol.

The students had been returning to Urbana’s campus from a shopping trip.

Killed were 27-year-old driver Jin Bian and 24-year-olds Bing Xue and Yan Sun, who were in the back seat. All three students were pursuing master’s degrees in business administration.

Two others were seriously injured in the pileup.

Clark County Prosecutor Stephen Schumaker said he was pleased with the verdict, which followed more than three hours of closing arguments.

Schumaker said family members of all three students attended the trial from China and watched proceedings from a conference room with an interpreter present.

Jurors met with the five family members after the verdict was delivered, Schumaker said.

During the trial, Schumaker said Skaggs was traveling nearly 100 miles an hour in a 55 mph zone when the accident occurred.