Wis. man to be sentenced in Minn. students’ deaths

MADISON, Wis. — A Madison man convicted of killing three University of Minnesota students in a drunken-driving crash last year is due to be sentenced.

Thirty-two-year-old Bradley R. Erickson pleaded no contest to four charges, including three counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. He faces up to 78 years in prison at Tuesday’s sentencing.

Prosecutors say the victims’ vehicle had pulled over in the Dane County town of Burke because of a flat tire. They say a speeding Erickson crashed into their vehicle, killing three people and injuring a fourth.

The criminal complaint says Erickson registered a 0.158 percent on a Breathalyzer shortly after the crash, about twice the legal limit for driving.

Friends say Erickson is an Iraq veteran who sometimes uses alcohol to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.