A Leavenworth man pleaded no contest Thursday to charges stemming from an incident in which he hit three Kansas University students with his vehicle last November.
Robert P. Bauswell Jr., 43, entered the plea to three aggravated battery charges and one charge of driving under the influence. If he has no criminal record, the charges won't automatically send him to prison, but Douglas County Assistant District Atty. Jerry Little said he will seek a prison term.
In return for Thursday's plea, prosecutors dropped charges of leaving the scene of an injury accident and not carrying proof of insurance. The prosecution also won't object to concurrent sentences for the four charges.
The maximum sentence he could face would be 136 months in prison for each count of aggravated battery.
All three students, 20 years old at the time, were walking across the street in the 600 block of Massachusetts when Bauswell ran into them. Police arrested him in North Lawrence shortly after the hit-and-run, based on witness descriptions of his vehicle. Police said he failed a sobriety test.
Mark Talley was the only victim to attend Thursday's hearing, where Bauswell entered the plea. He declined to talk about the plea. All three students have been released from hospitals and have returned to KU, but Talley said Justin Barron's right kidney is working at only 20 percent, and his lower right leg is numb because of a severed nerve.
Douglas County District Judge Robert Fairchild set sentencing for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 4. Bauswell remains free on bond.
-- Chris Koger's phone message number is 832-7126. His e-mail address is ckoger@ljworld.com.
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