An Armenian truck driver pleaded guilty in a car accident that occurred in Russia last July.

During the hearings, Hrachya Harutyunyan, a citizen of Armenia, rejected accusations of using documents known to have been forged, Interfax reported.

A truck crashed into a passenger bus on July 13, 2013 outside Moscow. The impact of the crash was so powerful that the bus had split in two. The accident claimed eighteen lives and injured forty others.

Harutyunyan answered only “yes” and “no” to the questions of the judge and refused to listen to the full translation of the indictment, saying he understands the essence of accusations.

The driver was arrested on July 15. On the first hearing, however, he was brought to the courtroom with slippers and a woman’s robe. This incident caused widespread discontent among the Armenian public, and protests were staged. He faces up to the maximum seven years in prison.