Florida 8-year-old loses three fingers after 'drunk' mother lets him set off fireworks inside family SUV on Halloween
An eight-year-old child lost three of his fingers and his mother was injured after he allegedly set off fireworks destroying an SUV and the trailer the family lived in.
Orange County Fire Rescue officials reported that a fire broke out in the 1800 block of East Orlando Road in Florida on Thursday night, according to Daily Mail. Investigators have claimed the fire broke out in the vehicle and spread to the 1,200-square-foot trailer where the woman and her eight-year-old son reside.
A source told Daily Mail the mother was apparently drunk and allowed the child to set off the fireworks. "He throws out a lit mortar, the mortar bounces on the ground and lands in the car. The explosion burned down the car and the trailer where they live", the source said.
The boy was rushed to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital where he was treated for burns on his arms, News6 reported. The mother, identified as Tiffany Aldrich, was also treated.
In footage obtained by News6, a woman could be heard shouting, "There's a boy in the car". Another man was heard saying: "He's over here, he's over here. His hand is blown off," before they eventually located him.
Ashley Gipson, the spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Rescue, said there were fireworks inside the vehicle and they were shooting off.
The boys' uncle, Lee Aubrey, filled in the details about the boy's condition. "These three fingers, they're gone. They had to put a pin through the pinkie, they had to replace the thumb, they put a pin, tried to put it back to normal."
"Other than that, he's got a few little burns from the aftermath. I don't even know how it even happened after trick-or-treating. That's a bad Halloween," he remarked.
"My sister was probably going to put on a few fireworks for a couple of boys at the end of the night before they went to get their bags to go to school and get ready for bed. And one blew up. It's just sad. They have nothing to come home to."
The Orange County Sheriff's Office was investigating the incident as a possible child neglect case, News6 reported. In the meantime, A GoFundMe page was started hoping to collect some funds for restoring the home.
The page read: "They have lost EVERYTHING due to a house fire. There were burns and injuries sustained to Tiffany and one of the children. He is hospitalized and his life may never be the same. I am starting this go fund me for them with the family's permission. As much as clothes and household items are needed and appreciated, they are most in need of cash and gift cards."