MIAMI COUNTY — A local bus driver involved in a “reckless” driving incident in Miami County last year has changed her plea.
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Brenda Brooks pleaded guilty on Thursday to six counts of child endangerment, one count of OVI, and one count of prohibited acts, a court official with Miami County Municipal Courts confirmed.
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Brooks was originally supposed to go to trial today, but that was converted to a final pre-trial hearing on Wednesday.
As previously reported by News Center 7, Brooks is accused of driving a Bethel Schools bus with students on board while impaired on Sept. 9, 2025.
Drivers called 911 on September 9 after witnessing the bus swerve across lanes.
It 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, according to a previous News Center 7 report.
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.
News Center 7 has reached out to the district to confirm whether Brooks remains on leave.
She’s scheduled to be sentenced on June 1.
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