Authorities say a Dunklin R-5 school bus driver in Jefferson County cracked open a beer before an afternoon route, then climbed behind the wheel of a bus carrying 37 students. Court papers and police reports trace the incident back to Feb. 6 and say prosecutors are now armed with breath test results and playground surveillance video.
According to First Alert 4, Dawna L. Brennan is charged with 37 counts of endangering the welfare of a child plus one count of DWI. Charging documents say an initial breath test taken at 3:20 p.m. registered 0.029 percent and that Brennan admitted to drinking half a bottle of Coors Light before driving the Dunklin R-5 bus that afternoon. A second breath test about an hour later reportedly showed 0.000 percent.
Investigators say surveillance footage from the Herculaneum Parks and Recreation Department shows Brennan pulling into the parking lot at Kade's Playground and drinking there before the route. Officers later found a discarded beer bottle in a trash can at the playground, according to officials.
How low readings and medications complicate impairment claims
Federal rules bar commercial drivers from doing safety-sensitive work if their alcohol concentration is 0.04 percent or higher, which is above the 0.029 percent figure reported in Brennan's first test. As outlined in the Legal Information Institute, a 0.04 percent reading can trigger disqualification of a commercial driver’s license.
Investigators also say Brennan gave officers a list of medications she was taking. Medical research has found that alcohol can boost the sedative side effects of many common prescriptions and increase driving impairment even at relatively low blood alcohol levels. Background on those interactions is detailed by the NIAAA.
District response
The Dunklin R-5 School District told First Alert 4 that Brennan was fired the same day the district learned what happened. Officials reiterated that the district has a strict zero-tolerance policy on alcohol for anyone responsible for student transportation.
The district said 37 students under the age of 17 were on the bus for the Feb. 6 afternoon run and that parents were notified at the time.
Legal implications
Under Missouri law, endangering the welfare of a child is a criminal offense that can be charged as a felony when someone knowingly creates a substantial risk to a child's health or safety. The statute and its penalty structure are set out in state law at the Missouri Revisor of Statutes.
In this case, prosecutors filed one count of endangering the welfare of a child for each of the 37 students on the bus, along with the DWI charge, creating a significant criminal case as it moves into the court system.
Court records will lay out the next steps, including any scheduled hearings. Local officials and the Dunklin R-5 district say student safety remains their top priority, and this story will be updated as new public documents or filings surface.
