The plea hearing date was changed for the driver of a semi tractor-trailer that hit a school bus transporting the St. Ignatius College Prep hockey team from Illinois on U.S. 30, near East Center Street, in Warsaw.
Originally set for 1:15 Tuesday, May 6 in Kosciusko Superior Court III, it was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, according to court documents.
The driver, Victor Santos, 61, of New York, had a 0.13% BrAC. The school bus overturned and about 20 students were injured, but fortunately there were no fatalities on that Nov. 12, 2022, night.
At Monday’s plea hearing, Santos is scheduled to plead guilty to five of the felony charges against him that would net him about 20 years in prison, if the plea agreement is accepted by the judge. A jury trial is vacated and the state will agree to dismiss the remaining 21 counts against Santos upon sentencing.
According to a copy of the plea agreement filed April 7, 2025, Santos will plead guilty to counts 1-4 of causing serious bodily injury while operating a vehicle while intoxicated, level 5 felonies; and count 5 of criminal recklessness, a level 6 felony.
On counts 1-4, in exchange for Santos’ guilty plea, he will receive any sentence permitted under statute for a level 5 felony per count, to be served consecutively with a cap of 20 years on the initially executed sentence and any sentence beyond the executed is to be served on formal probation.
On count 5, Santos will receive 2-1/2 years suspended on formal probation, the plea agreement states.
He must also pay court costs, fines and other related costs. He must pay restitution as a result of the accident in an amount to be determined.