A semi-truck driver who crashed his vehicle into a bus carrying a hockey team, leaving 20 people hurt, pleaded guilty to charges Monday.
Victor Santos pleaded guilty to five felony counts in an Indiana courtroom Monday, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in connection to the Nov. 2022 crash, which left 18 players and two coaches injured as the St. Ignatius College Prep JV hockey team was coming back to a hotel from a team dinner.
Wendy Cook’s son was one of the players hurt in the crash, and was in the courtroom for Monday’s hearing.
“It was a very emotional day. I wanted to come here, and I wanted Alex to be here for some level of closure,” she said.
The team had just finished competing in a tournament at Culver Military Academy on Nov. 12, 2022 and was on a bus heading back to their hotel when a semi crashed into the vehicle, according to police.
The crash occurred in Warsaw, located approximately 50 miles from South Bend. The bus was attempting to turn left off of U.S. Route 30 when the semi went through a red light and slammed into the rear of the bus, flipping it onto its side.
The driver of the semi then continued driving westbound down the roadway for nearly a mile before he lost control of the vehicle and ended up in a ditch, police said. Police officers “detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person,” according to law enforcement.
The driver had previously been reported as “swerving into other lanes and driving at excessive speed” by an eyewitness.
Santos was ultimately charged with multiple felonies, including causing serious bodily injury while driving a vehicle, among other charges.
Alex Cook was one of 18 players injured in the crash, with his mother describing the horrible scene after her son suffered a concussion and broke multiple bones in his face. He also had a seizure after the crash, she told reporters.
“The coach wasn’t sure if he was still living,” she said.
Several other players and coaches were also in court on Monday, with multiple victim impact statements read before Santos was sentenced.
A civil case is still pending against him, and could go to trial later this year, attorneys said.
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