ANDERSON — A city man pleaded guilty earlier this week to driving drunk and causing the crash that broke his brother’s neck.

Steven W. Vibbert, 47, Anderson, pleaded guilty to charges of:

• causing serious bodily injury when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C felony

• operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class D felony

• causing serious bodily injury when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a Class D felony

• and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor.

Vibbert faced up to nearly 15 years in prison, but any prison sentence he serves will be capped at four years, according to an agreement with prosecutors. Vibbert pleaded guilty Tuesday as charged, and no counts were dismissed. Madison Superior Court 1 Judge Dennis Carroll is expected to sentence Vibbert within the next 30 days. Vibbert’s attorney, Christopher Cage, couldn’t be reached for comment earlier this week.

Vibbert had faced charges of driving drunk causing death, a Class B felony, for causing the death of his brother Jesse Vibbert, 53. But Deputy Prosecutor Rudolph Pyle III said medical officials learned Vibbert had ongoing health problems prior to the crash, and those are what caused his death.

Jesse Vibbert died at Indianapolis’ Methodist Hospital on Dec. 23, about two weeks after the collision that left him with multiple broken bones in his neck. Jesse had been a passenger in the vehicle his brother was driving.

According to a crash report and probable cause affidavit:

Deputies were called to the intersection of Indiana 236 and County Road 300 East around 6:45 p.m. Dec. 6 on a report of a two-vehicle crash.

Steven Vibbert was driving a 1994 Ford Escort westbound on Ind. 236 when he rear-ended a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup that had stopped at the intersection.

Jesse Vibbert was a front-seat passenger in the Escort and was wearing a seat belt. He was taken to Saint John’s Medical Center from the scene. Hospital officials later transferred him to Methodist.

Steven Vibbert, who was also wearing a seat belt, suffered nonlife-threatening injuries in the crash and was also taken to Saint John’s. A breath test revealed his blood-alcohol content was 0.11 percent, higher than Indiana’s limit to legally drive, 0.08 percent.

Steven Vibbert told officers the pickup didn’t have working taillights, but crash investigators said the lights were working. Officers also found open beer cans on the passenger side floor in Vibbert’s car. He was arrested that night, but posted bond the next day.