Mother drove into crowded park, ran over 12-year-old because her kids were being bullied

PEORIA, Ariz. (WKRC) – A mother became enraged by apparent bullying against her children, prompting her to drive her pickup truck through a crowded park, running over a 12-year-old girl in the process.

According to a press release from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, 31-year-old Brandie Gotch arrived at Westgreen Park to find her children fighting with each other, with other children watching them and “egging them on and recording the altercation.”

“While walking [the kids] back to her truck, a boy on the playground called her a name,” the release said. “Gotch went over to him and started pulling him by his hair. A second boy called her a name, and she chased him around the park with a stick.”

After Gotch put her children in the truck, another boy stood behind her truck and started dancing and mocking her, but he eventually moved out of the way and joined his sister back in the park.

“At that point, Gotch backed out of the parking space, revved her engine and drove right at the boy and his sister,” the release said. “He was able to jump out of the way, but his sister’s leg was run over. Gotch kept driving through the park where more than a dozen other children were at the time, including some who had to run to get out of the truck’s path.”

Gotch reportedly left the scene with her children, who later told authorities they were bouncing around in the truck during the rampage, but was arrested a short time after.

According to an affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Gotch told police that her kids had been bullied by some of the other children at the park, and that she had told school authorities about it but nothing had been done. She also said she believed her children were being bullied at the park.

She was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, and pled guilty to all charges on June 14. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.