A seven-month-old baby died Tuesday afternoon after a vehicle caught fire outside his family's home in Thurston County, Washington. The infant, Bodhi, was reportedly trapped in his car seat when the Ford F-350 truck burst into flames around 12:10 p.m.
Despite desperate attempts by his father, Brandon Shue, neighbors, and first responders to free the child, Bodhi could not be rescued in time. Shue, who is the primary caregiver while his partner works, suffered burns and other injuries during the rescue attempt. He reportedly tried to extinguish the fire with a garden hose before the flames spread too rapidly.
According to investigators, Shue had briefly stepped away from the running vehicle with three children present. Smoke began filling the cabin shortly after. The infant's two-year-old sibling was removed from the truck by a 12-year-old relative before an adult was alerted.
By the time adults returned to the vehicle, it was fully engulfed in flames. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office and Tumwater fire investigators are examining the incident, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives specialists. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire but do not currently suspect criminal activity. "We don't expect anything criminal is involved, but anytime you have the death of a child we want to answer as many questions as we possibly can about what happened and what occurred," Detective Sergeant Micky Hamilton told KING 5.
Bodhi's mother, Jasmine Whittaker, shared on Facebook that the family was using Shue's truck because her own vehicle had broken down the previous day. She was at work when Shue called her with the news. "During the brief phone call I had with my partner, I could hear the sheer terror in his voice when he told me they couldn't get Bodhi out," Whittaker wrote.
Whittaker described Bodhi as a happy and loving child. She also noted that her younger sister, who lives with the family, had previously lost her mother and three-month-old sister in a car crash less than a year ago. "She is so strong and saved a life and made every attempt to save another," Whittaker wrote of her sister.
Neighbors reported hearing a small explosion-like sound before seeing the large emergency response. "We heard sort of a boom, too - it wasn't like super loud but you could hear it, like pop it in your ears," said neighbor Margaret Hoffman.
The tragedy has weighed heavily on first responders. "It's always harder when it involves a child," Hamilton stated.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the family with funeral expenses, grief counseling, and lost wages. As of Thursday afternoon, it had raised nearly $18,000.