GREEN BAY, Wis. (WLUK) — The driver of a coach bus that crashed near several warehouses in Green Bay on Sunday reported to police that he experienced brake failure while exiting an on-ramp.
Ghebry Figueroa, 37, from Prospect Heights, Illinois, was charged on Tuesday with two counts of knowingly operating a motor vehicle while revoked, resulting in great bodily harm to another, and one count of operating a motor vehicle while disqualified.
During an initial court appearance held virtually from the Brown County Jail, a $5,000 bond was set for Figueroa. Court records indicate that Figueroa paid the bond within a few hours. One condition of his bond stipulates that he must not drive without a valid license.
“The rationale behind the cash bond is due to the defendant's extensive history of driving-related offenses. It appears he is currently on probation in Illinois for a serious incident involving operation after revocation, dating back to 2024. He has two prior Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) convictions and has been repeatedly found guilty of operating while suspended,” stated Assistant District Attorney Lisa Kaster during the hearing. “Both his regular and commercial driver's licenses are revoked, yet he was operating a bus carrying 54 passengers while claiming both the regular and backup brakes had failed.”
Figueroa is scheduled to return to court on April 1 for a preliminary hearing.
One of the crash victims appeared in court via a cell phone from a hospital bed, expressing his distress by stating, “he messed up my life” and requested the $5,000 cash bond recommended by the prosecution.
The defense team proposed a $2,500 cash bond.
“I spoke with Mr. Figueroa today. He acknowledges the severity of these charges and assures that he will attend all required court proceedings,” remarked Figueroa's attorney, who was hired privately and not appointed by the public defender's office.
A criminal complaint has been filed against Ghebry Figueroa in connection with the March 22, 2026, crash involving a tour bus that resulted in 33 individuals being hospitalized.
The bus was en route from Chicago to the Island Resort and Casino in Michigan's Upper Peninsula when it departed from Interstate Highway 43, proceeded down the Webster Avenue off-ramp, crossed the road, descended an embankment, and ultimately stopped amid warehouses.
Out of the 54 individuals on board, 36 were transported to local hospitals. The Green Bay Police Department reported that a total of 41 people sustained injuries in the incident. Injuries among passengers varied from minor bumps and bruises to more severe conditions, including a broken arm and ribs for one individual and a spinal fracture for another. Kaster noted that most of the victims were “elderly.”
A statement from HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay, which treated some of the passengers, highlighted that mass casualty protocols were activated, designed for incidents of this nature, and confirmed their effective implementation. The statement emphasized a coordinated response to ensure patients received timely and appropriate medical attention.
Figueroa informed law enforcement that he was exiting the highway to refuel. He reported that as he attempted to slow down for the exit, the brakes were malfunctioning. Despite multiple attempts to ‘pump' the brakes, the bus only slowed slightly. Efforts to activate the emergency brake also proved unsuccessful, according to the complaint.
A field sobriety test conducted at the hospital revealed no signs of intoxication in Figueroa. Initially, he claimed to possess a valid driver's license; however, he later admitted he did not. A records check showed that both his personal and commercial driver licenses had been revoked.
The complaint further notes that Figueroa had been previously convicted in Cook County, Illinois, in 2024 for driving with a revoked license following a driving under the influence conviction.
Figueroa's Facebook page identifies him as the owner of Lucky Charter and Tours, located in Wheeling, Illinois. Research conducted by FOX 11 revealed that the company is not authorized to operate interstate, which appears to be the context in which it was functioning. Over the past two years, Lucky Charter and Tours has not reported any accidents.
According to the Illinois Secretary of State's Office, Figueroa has lacked a valid Illinois driver's license since 2017, following a suspension due to a driving under the influence case. At that time, he held a commercial driver's license.