Suspect had at least 4 DUIs before allegedly killing KU student in hit-and-run
The man arrested in connection with the fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a University of Kansas student last week was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) four times before the wreck, court records show.
William Ray Klingler, 36, was arrested over the weekend and booked on an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with the hit-and-run. Official charges have not yet been filed as of Tuesday morning, according to online court records.
Elsa McGrain, 20, was killed on Nov. 6 while she was running on a trial near the Lawrence Regional Airport in the 1700 block of E. 1500 Road. She was studying to become a pediatric oncologist and was set to graduate from KU in 2026.
Hit-and-run suspect has history of DUIs
Klingler has been charged with DUI at least four times, online court records show. He has twice been charged with tampering with an ignition interlock device, which requires a breath test before a vehicle can be driven.
In 2018, Klingler was charged with driving while his license was suspended or revoked. He was sentenced to probation, but the probation terms were later revoked when he was convicted of DUI in a 2019 case. At the time, Klingler was sentenced to one year in jail for his third DUI in 10 years, court records show.
Klingler was then sentenced to one year in jail and one year of probation followed by house arrest for his fourth or subsequent DUI conviction in 2020. He was also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.
After being convicted of tampering with an electronic monitoring device in 2021, Klingler was sentenced to 8 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections and 12 months of post-release supervision.
It is unclear from court records whether Klingler served the sentences in their entirety, or a portion of them.
In 2023, Klingler was ordered to pay a $100 fine for transporting an open container and a $100 fine for tampering with an ignition interlock device.
In addition to involuntary manslaughter, Klingler was booked into jail this week for failure to appear in a previous case.
Elsa McGrain remembered by community
McGrain has been remembered by her family and college friends as someone who wanted to serve others. She was active in her churches in both Omaha and Lawrence.
She was also a member of the Chi Omega sorority at KU. The sorority posted on Instagram after the news of her death, saying McGrain was “genuine, kind, and full of light.”
Previous reporting by The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee contributed.
