A mother in central Florida watches a family friend run over her son in a parking lot. Â The mom of Brady Hutto tried to get the female driver’s attention as she watched her reverse in a parking lot and kill her son. Reports say it was an accident and the family friend did not see the little boy and no charges have been filed, yet, if any.
Read the story after the jump!
The wife of the police chief in a central Florida community accidentally ran over a family friend’s 22-month-old son with an SUV in a parking lot, authorities said.
Pamela Bodenheimer, 51, was backing up from a parking spot Friday night at Titusville High School when she drove over Brady Hutto. She told police she did not see the boy and no charges have been filed.
The horrific accident was witnessed by Brady’s mother, who tried and failed to get the driver’s attention.
‘We have been in close contact with that family,’ said Lake Alfred police Chief Art Bodenheimer. ‘We are a close-knit community that has been impacted greatly. We ask for support and prayers.’
A witness tried to perform CPR on the boy before he was taken by ambulance to a hospital, police said. He was pronounced dead soon after arrival.
‘It appears to be a tragic accident,’ said Titusville Police Maj. Todd Hutchinson. He added that Mrs Bodenheimer was ‘absolutely devastated’.
Her sport utility vehicle was confiscated for the investigation. There is a potential for a charge of improper backing, Mr Hutchinson said. That will not be determined until the investigation is completed, which could take up to a week.
There was no indication that alcohol was involved, he said.
Most of the crowd had gathered for the softball game when Brady’s mother went to get something out of her car in the parking lot.
The boy wandered away, and Brady’s mother noticed the SUV backing up.
‘She witnessed the car backing over her child,’ Mr Hutchinson said. ‘She yelled to get the driver’s attention, but by then it was too late. The most serious injury was trauma to the chest.’
The game was postponed after the tragedy.
There was an outpouring of support on Twitter from members of the community, including players on the softball team who said they were praying for the boy’s family.
Jennifer Sansone wrote: ‘He was the most adorable, sweetest, loving, & charismatic little boy & will be dearly missed. He was loved by many.’
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