MIAMI COUNTY — The bus driver involved in a “reckless” driving incident in Miami County earlier this year has entered a plea.
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Brenda Brooks, 66, pleaded not guilty to six misdemeanor counts of child abuse/endangering, OVI, and prohibited acts on Nov. 3, according to Miami County Municipal Court records.
Brooks is accused of driving a Bethel Schools bus with students on board while impaired.
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As News Center 7 previously reported, drivers called 911 on September 9 after witnessing a Bethel Local Schools bus swerve across lanes.
The bus was eventually stopped by a parent at State Route 571 and South Palmer Road, about two and a half miles from the district’s campus.
Body camera video from the Miami County Sheriff’s deputies who responded shows what happened after the bus was stopped.
A deputy spoke with parents as another ordered the driver, Brooks, off the bus. He asked what was going on.
“I was driving and a cat came out in front of me, and a squirrel came out, and I ended up hitting the squirrel,” the Brooks said in the video.
The deputy told Brooks that other drivers flooded 911 lines with calls complaining about her swerving across the road.
The deputy then asked Brooks if she had a medical condition, if she had been drinking, or if she was taking any medications. She said no to each.
The district released a statement to district families, apologizing and calling the incident “unacceptable.” They confirmed that the driver has been placed on administrative leave.
Brooks is scheduled to appear in court for a pre-trial conference on Dec. 4.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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