The Central Oregon woman charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants in a crash last March that injured several Baker High School students is scheduled to enter a plea in Deschutes County Circuit Court on Feb. 24, 11 months after the crash.

Katrina Nicole Dacus, 35, of Culver, was originally scheduled to enter a plea to 26 criminal charges, including drunken driving, recklessly endangering another person and fourth-degree assault, on July 24, 2024.

Dacus was driving a Subaru that crashed into a Baker School District bus carrying students attending the state FFA convention in Redmond on March 22, 2024.

Dacus’ case has been delayed several times.

First, a judge granted a motion from Dacus’ attorney to reschedule the plea hearing until Sept. 4.

On Aug. 30, Joseph A. Langerman, a deputy district attorney in Deschutes County, filed a motion seeking another postponement.

“The State needs more time to consult with the named victims and their families in this matter before extending a plea offer,” Langerman wrote in his motion, which was granted.

Dacus’ plea hearing was rescheduled for Oct. 16.

But two days before that hearing, Langerman filed a motion seeking another delay.

In that motion, Langerman wrote that over the previous week, prosecutors had received new information about injuries to some of the BHS students that could result in new criminal charges against Dacus, including changing one fourth-degree assault count to third-degree assault, and adding five more counts of fourth-degree assault.

Prosecutors also planned to take the case to a grand jury, Langerman wrote.

He wrote that the district attorney’s office has discussed a possible settlement with Dacus, and that Dacus’ attorney has suggested a settlement conference.

Dacus had a new attorney assigned on Nov. 5.

“The State is requesting a Motion to Postpone Entry of Plea in the normal course in order to continue consulting with the remaining victims in this case, to continue plea negotiations with defense, and to set this matter for Grand Jury now that there is information that would support Felony charges,” Langerman wrote in his Oct. 14 motion.

A judge granted that motion. Dacus was scheduled to enter a plea on Dec. 2 in Deschutes County Circuit Court, but that hearing was also postponed.

On Dec. 19 a grand jury issued a new indictment that includes 29 counts, including, for the first time, two felony counts of third-degree assault. Langerman alluded in his Oct. 14 motion to the possibility of upgrading at least one charge from fourth-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor, to third-degree, a Class B felony.

The 27 other charges are all Class A misdemeanors — 15 counts of recklessly endangering another person, nine counts of fourth-degree assault, and one count each of reckless driving, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and second-degree criminal mischief (related to damage to the bus).

Four of the BHS students were treated at a hospital after the crash. Dacus drove past a stop sign where a road meets Highway 126 on the west side of Redmond and crashed into the bus.