A North Liberty man will spend the next 18 years in prison after pleading guilty in a drunk-driving crash that killed a South Bend man and seriously injured a woman last November.
John Collings, 63, was sentenced on Monday, March 2, for the November 2025 crash at the intersection of Mayflower Road and Bellville Drive.
Collings previously entered a guilty plea on January 29 to two felony charges stemming from the crash. Prosecutors say the collision killed 58-year-old James L. Barnes of South Bend, severely injured a 48-year-old woman, and also killed the couple’s dog.
The judge imposed the maximum sentence on both counts. Collings received 12 years for Causing Death When Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Level 4 felony, and six years for Causing Serious Bodily Injury When Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Level 5 felony. The sentences will run consecutively in the Indiana Department of Correction, totaling 18 years.
According to court records, Collings told authorities he had consumed “probably” ten bottles of beer and two shots of Rumple before the crash.
In addition to prison time, Judge Hurley suspended Collings’ driver’s license for 18 years.
