No charges to be filed against Sound Transit bus driver in double-fatal crash

SEATTLE (AP) — King County prosecutors say they won't file criminal charges against a Sound Transit bus driver who killed two people when he rammed their car in Kirkland in 2013.

The bus ran a red light after exiting a freeway ramp and collided with a Ford Escape, killing Robert and Elizabeth Rotta and injuring their son.

Prosecutors say bus driver Aleksandr Ruklin was negligent, but there's no evidence he was intentionally so, and a careful review suggests he accidentally stepped on the gas instead of the brake. They say the case doesn't rise to the level of vehicular homicide.

In May, the Washington State Patrol, following its investigation, had recommended that vehicular homicide charges be filed against the bus driver.

The prosecutors said they also considered filing a felony hit-and-run charge because the bus didn't stop for about three-quarters of a mile, but they said there's no evidence the driver was trying to flee. They are referring the case to the King County District Court for the filing of traffic infractions.