NILES – The Buchanan man charged in connection with the early August crash that killed four people near Buchanan has waived a preliminary hearing and is headed to trial.

Dub Alan Collins, 54, of Buchanan, waived a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Berrien County Trial Court in Niles. The preliminary hearing had been set to be held next Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Collins’ trial is scheduled to take place Dec. 11-13 before Berrien County Trial Judge Charles LaSata. Before that, a case conference is set for Nov. 6 and a status conference for Dec. 4.

Collins is charged with 12 counts including four counts of second-degree murder and four counts of operating while intoxicated causing death.

Other charges against him include one count of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, one count of third-offense drunk driving, one count of second-offense driving with a suspended license and one count of open container of alcohol.

The second-degree murder counts carry a maximum penalty of life or any term of years in prison, while the operating while intoxicated causing death counts carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Third offense drunk driving and driving while intoxicated causing serious injury are five-year felonies. The remaining two counts are misdemeanors.

Collins was driving a 2007 Ford Fusion on Miller Road on Aug. 2 when he blew through the stop sign on Miller Road and struck a 2000 Honda Accord broadside that was traveling south on Main Street. All four occupants of the Honda were killed in the crash and pronounced dead at the scene.

Those who died in the crash have been identified as Robert Klint, 66, of Sawyer, his brother-in-law, Kent Williamson, 52, of Virginia, Klint’s wife, Melissa Klint, 60, of Sawyer, and their daughter, Landyn Klint, 22, of Sawyer. Robert Klint was the driver of the vehicle. Williamson was Melissa Klint’s brother.