No charges in Portland party bus death of girl

PORTLAND (AP) — Prosecutors say the death of an 11-year-old girl who fell from a Portland party bus in September was an accident, and the driver won’t face criminal charges.

The Oregonian reports the Multnomah County district attorney’s office released findings Thursday. It said driver Martin Brouwer Jr. was obeying the law as he turned the bus,

Police say Angie Hernandez was sitting atop a backrest, leaned against the window and fell out. The rear wheels rolled over her.

Prosecutors say the window could have been left unlatched on a previous trip, by a cleaner, or by a child on the bus. They say Hernandez herself might have grabbed the latch.

The bus was full of young people going to a quinceanera party for a girl’s 15th birthday party.

The bus was operated by Five Star Limousine, which had a Hazel Dell address but no license to operate party buses in Washington. A manager said at the time of the accident that 90 percent of the company’s business was in Oregon.

The Columbian contributed to this report.