A three-year-old boy who died after being crushed by a bulldozer has been named by police.
The boy, a two-year-old friend and other family members were collecting pine cones at a property in Darnell Street in Anderson's Bay, Dunedin, when the accident happened late yesterday afternoon.
The
boy has been named as Matthew Birtles.
Police say it appears he and the girl were behind a bulldozer on the property, when it rolled backwards onto them.
The Otago Daily Times reported that the children were not related and the injured girl is understood to have a broken arm.
Sergeant Chris George said he was unsure of the connection between the driver and Matthew.
Mr George said the serious crash investigator will be on-site today.
"It's a tragic incident that has occurred," he said.
Detective Sergeant Malcolm Inglis said there was no possibility of an arrest.
Mr Inglis said police were investigating the incident and would prepare a report for a coroner's inquest. The bulldozer was being removed from the property for inspection this morning.
Labour Department occupational safety and health inspectors also inspected the site this morning, but Mr Inglis said it appeared not to be a worksite accident and he doubted the department would be involved in the investigation.
The bulldozer driver, aged 40, was experienced and had been "quite confident" he'd secured the machine before getting off it.
"Everyone's devastated, obviously," Mr Inglis said.
"He's an experienced bulldozer driver and thought he'd made it secure."
Mr Inglis said the Birtles family had asked for privacy "during this tragic time".
- with NEWSTALK ZB, OTAGO DAILY TIMES, NZPA
