Baby boy crushed to death after mum reverses 4x4 over pram while leaving Christmas Eve funeral

A seven-month-old boy has died after his mother reversed her 4x4 over the pram he was lying in. Police in Queensland, Australia, are not treating the incident as suspicious, but as a "tragic accident".

Tony Jackson told ABC the mother was leaving a funeral on Christmas Eve and accidentally reversed over the pram in her four-wheel drive.

It's believed the woman had briefly got into the car to activate the air conditioning before putting the child inside, according to 7 News.

However, after turning on the ignition, the Mitsubishi Pajero lurched into reverse gear, mounting the pavement and crushing the pram.

"(The mother) is distraught and is being cared for by her husband and close family," Queensland Police Senior Sergeant Tony Jackson said. "It's a terrible tragedy and a timely reminder for parents who have children to ensure they know exactly where they are."

The woman is being cared for by police and is assisting them with their enquiries as the Forensic Crash Unit investigates.

"The investigations are ongoing, but it's unlikely they're going to charge a mother over something like this," a police spokeswoman told Sky News Australia on 31 December.

The mother had recently left a funeral at the Catholic church of St Paul's when the incident occurred. She was not physically hurt.

The child was taken to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, where he died with his parents at his side, according to 9news.com.