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Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 4:33 p.m. ET: TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A 22-month-old boy has died after being run over by an SUV driven by the wife of a police chief in the parking lot of a Florida high school during a softball game.
Police 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. No charges have been filed.
Bodenheimer's daughter and the boy's sister are teammates on the Auburndale Bloodhounds softball team. The game was postponed after the tragedy.
"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. "She was absolutely devastated," he said of Pamela Bodenheimer.
Her sport utility vehicle was confiscated for the investigation. There is a potential for a charge of improper backing, 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," 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."
Local coverage from WESH.com in Orlando
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 many3."
The driver wasn't cited, and police said there was no indication that alcohol was involved. Her SUV was confiscated for the investigation.
Police say a witness tried to perform CPR on the boy, who was taken by ambulance to a Titusville hospital. He was pronounced dead soon after arrival.
The boy's mother was nearby, outside her vehicle when the incident happened.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
How does a SUV kill anyone and who was supposed to be watching the child?
What do you mean 'how does a SUV kill anyone?' That kid was probably around 25-28 pounds.
The SUV didn't kill the kid. The SUV driver killed the kid.
This is aweful, I can't even imagine the emotional trauma that the person who accidently hit this child is feeling, not to mention the mother who was right there. Its true that no matter what kind of vehicle you have its very difficult to see a young child who is standing behind you. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and all of those who were involved.
Where was the mother of this child? Next to her own vehicle and not watching the child or holding her child's hand? What gives with some mothers who believe that other people will watch out for their chldren. What a tragic loss for both the driver and the child's family. I look every which way several different times before I back out of a parking space, and still I miss someone who is hurrrying in back of my car. I wish that every vehicle would be equipped with the warning device that some one or something is in back of the vehicle. Autos that have this device have reported saving lives.
We hired a guy to pump out our septic tank once, he told us all about his little daughter, same age as the kid in this story. Two days later, he backed over his kid right in his own driveway, with the same work truck that had been at our house. That was about 30 years ago, it was a tragedy for our entire community. This is not a new story, I'm sure these accidents happen in every state, every week. If somebody learns from this, that's a good thing. It can happen to any driver, any kid and with any kind of motor vehicle.
this was NOT an accident this was a case of a mother letting her child run around in a parking lot
Dear Mommy,
Why did you allow me to run out of your control in a parking lot? I was just a little boy who didn't know any better. You were not watching after me like a good Mommy does, all of the time. I know you didn't want me run over and die from that SUV, but if you had my hand or kept a closer eye on me, MAYBE I would be alive today. The driver who ran over me would not be so sad either. Tell Todd when he asks, that you are sorry and beg them to please be easy on you for this mistake. I'll be here waiting for you. I am OK and it is not bad here.
Luv Brady
Simple common sense prevention keeps these tragic accidents from happening! An almost 2 year old should NOT be allowed to walk in a parking lot with out holding mom's hand. Mom needs to bound baby in stroller, or place baby in her arms and carry a short distance to the car, or at least hold infants hand in parking lot/crossing streets.
My son at 7 is trained to note that white back up lights on a car mean the vehicle is about to move backwards, so if you are behind that car, move!
And because these are young foolish inexperienced little peolpe, the adults in charge should do all the watching, and common sense prevention in their stead. So sorry mom and baby had to learn the hard way.
Driver, did you at least turn around before backing out? You're gonna feel guilty a long time either way since you killed a baby.....get counseling to help.
that's unfair to the driver to make that comment- i am always looking but still have ADULTS walk behind a moving vehicle...ppl in parking lots need to aware of their surrounds (off their cell phones) and watch that white backup light...
That's unfair? How? Hopefully the driver turned around and looked, thereby doing their responsible obligation, to prevent loss of life, but then the story did not say and we don't know. I don't know how many times a driver lacks the action to turn around and look behind them, rather then use mirror or just pull out without looking at all, and I have to move to avoid being hit. I see it happen to others to. It's just a fact that drivers can be preoccupied and not paying attention. The article never stated if the woman looked. I hope she did- for her sake. Even if this was just a tragic accident, if she didn't turn around and look, she is going to have terrible feelings of guilt. All I am saying is, she took a baby's life. That is going to be hard to live with.
Clearly, the pedestrian mother was at fault as that kid was her responsibility.
Just because YOU always look, doesn't mean that others always do. Everyone ought to be paying attention, drivers, walkers, etc.
unfortunately in day and time with electronic gadgets glued to ppls ears and/or hands, they have forgotten the fine art of looking before pulling out...i've lost track of the number of times i've had to blast my horn when i'm half way out of my parking spot and a car directly behind me is suddenly pulling out without looking to see other vehicles backing out...they were moving so fast it was quicker to honk the horn then take time to pull back into my spot - sorry if i meant this as an attack to you t'momma - i apologize but we don't know the facts (once again - articles are lacking - either for lack of information and/or how the writer wants to write it)
As sad as it is, the attempt to demonise and evil SUV as the perpetrator is so cheap and superficial in the face of a child losing their life. The fact is, a VW bug might have cause the same outcome.
The authors seems to place a higher value on demonizing and SUV, then they do the life of a child.
What in the hell has journalism come to.
I find that there are no journalists on the web they are all bloggers giving there opinion of a news story even the old fashioned news papers are starting to fall to this new trend
She should have been holding her child's hand or had him under control in some other way, but she'll have a lifetime to regret this now and her son won't have a lifetime at all.
The driver and her choice of vehicle IS NOT the problem here.. The mother letting her child run in a parking lot during an event is I feel bad for the child being dead I do but this "mother" should be .. I dont know but come on I have a 4 year old daughter and when out anywhere her hand does NOT leave mine or my wifes period. What was this woman thinking someoen else would watch her kid .. this is a case of horrible parenting
You almost wonder in the mother was a young teen being that she was at a high school sports event.
i'm sorry for this loss - hope both get the help and comfort they need.
Vehicles have blind spots - i've had grown adults suddenly appear in my rearview mirror and almost hit them b/c they don't stop to look before walking behind a vehicle that is backing up even with me looking behind and in all the mirrors as i'm back up. When you have a smaller vehicle next to taller and bigger vehicles in the parking lot, it's also hard to see ppl walking behind you when the suddenly appear. This child could not understand this rule of looking and it does take a few seconds for a young child to run from the parent but adults need to be careful when walking in a parking lot too...set the example as these young children are growing.
Why not just call it a car? It sounds like the headline is trying to vilify SUVs - a term which I think is silly to begin with.
Mother's fault, not the driver. Darwin comes through again.
Should we ban all vehicles or just the evil black soccer-mom-assault-SUV's? Sometimes life just happens.
I think the reporter just just reporting the details and the type of vehicle it was that struck the kid. The fact that it was a SUV brings to my mind, that it was simply a large type of car. That lil one had no chance. I didn't see any vilifying of the driver or choice of car. That was the facts.
You said 'sometimes life happens', I think you meant to say sometimes death happens.....
I am sorry to read about the terrible accident, but why was the child not being held. Whether holding the hand, carried or being in a stroller. When my were little I always had a stroller, carried my son, additional items and because I had a 6 yr old that did sports I always had his hand in mine. Not because he would run, but because for drivers it is hard for them to see small children behind their cars. If they see me I know at least my son would be safe. He is now 26 and is not tramatized because I held his hand for a long time.
Again my condolences to every one that was involved with this accident.
People in the U.S. can't even die a natural death without somebody trying to blame something or somebody !People are getting truly pathetic.
#1 rule for kids...hands on the car until everyone is out and accounted for! So very sorry for all involved.
Why can't a tragic accident but just that, an accident? Point the finger, blame whatever political entity you want too, bash the SUV, but accidents do and will continue to happen. Neither the driver nor the mother will ever get over this tragedy. How about instead of pointing your fingers, you put your hands together and pray, hope for, or in some way attempt to bring the survivors some solace and closure to something that happened without malice or malicious intent from anyone involved.
this is such a sad story but I wonder why the child wasn't right next to the mother? I see this happen all the time where little kids are running around parking lots unattended and being potential victims of this sort of tragedy. My prayers go out to all involved and parents of young kids and toddlers need to make sure that they're keeping their kids safe and put them in the vehicles before they get in.
what the hell? did the mother leave the little kid in his little baby seat on the ground behind the wheel? if i got a 2 year old kid that kid aint leaving my site for longer than a second and im not letting him play around an suv. ALSO, where the hell is the drivers back up camera!?!
Back up cameras are a very new technology. SUVs without them will be on our roads for years to come.
So watch your kids and do not depend on technology.
A terrible tragedy for every one involved.
But why was the mother of the toddler not WITH him, instead of just 'nearby?' A parking lot is not a safe place to let a small child loose -- they can take off like a shot and **gasp** there are moving vehicles in parking lots.
Either hold onto their hand, get a leash (we used them on all of the kids in the family -- they're a godsend!), or keep the child in a stroller.
EASY to point the BLAME when all were not there ! Accidents do happen, I have no opinion since I was not a witness.
My sympathies to the Mom , Driver, and of course..............R.I.P sweet one
The infant is definitely resting in peace Eliza and will be forevermore.
Would some of you quit making things up so you can illustrate your point better. Almost nobody literally blamed the SUV. I didn't notice anyone "defending " the mom. Yes, the type of car had virtually no affect in the accident. People were being sympathetic to the "mom', not defending her. You want to be as safe as possible, back the vehicle "in" with a ground guide. When you get ready to leave you will have as clear a view as possible. Unfortunately some parking lots don't work that way. This is a sad, and tragic story, not a debating class. Those of you offering your sympathy to both women are doing the right thing. Thank you.
I always make sure I am holding the hand of my four year old until she is sitting in her car seat. For double safety I make sure my 10 year old is holding her other hand. There is no excuse for this child's mother to be nearby and not have control over her child.
Ahhhhh Florida..... The wang of North America.... We make Alabama and Georgia look smart..
Alabama and Georgia are the testicles!
The SUV killed the child... not the driver. This is the same mentality that led to guns kill people. Notice how long it took the author to mention the driver. If the SUV was parked in a parking lot, it could not kill the child until a human being unlocked the door, opened it, got in the vehicle, fixed her hair, put on her seatbelt, called her friend, started the SUV, released the emergency rake, put it in reverse, not see the child and then hit and kill the child. It never would have happened if a human did not make several conscious, deliberate operations first. All of you gun control idiots can think about that!
Lol, i have been waiting ALL DAY for a gun nut to come along and basically say "See, an SUV is a deadly weapon too!" Lol, thanks Cactuscast, finally!