A little boy found dead in the boot of a car in regional Victoria had been attending a traditional Christmas catch-up with his family at a friend’s house.
The 10-year-old is understood to have taken the keys and climbed into the boot of the car parked on Gange Street at Mooroopna, 180km north of Melbourne, at 3.30pm on Sunday.
The owner of that house, who did not wish to be named, told Daily Mail Australia her family had routinely gathered with her friend’s family at her home.
On Monday, the Gange Street property continued to resemble a children’s playground, with swings, slides and a cubby house among a treasure trove of play equipment visible in the front yard.
Two toddlers continued to play in the yard where just a day earlier their little mate met his tragic demise.
The woman said her friend was too distraught to speak about what had happened and had asked to be left alone.
She refused to speculate if the boy became stuck in the boot while playing hide and seek with her children.
‘Yeah, well, it’s not something I can talk about. She’s told me to say nothing,’ the woman said.
The Gange Street home remained littered with children’s play equipment on Monday
‘I’m trying to respect her. It was just a tragic accident. It’s just horrible.’
Although gagged from speaking, the woman said it was important for people to know that her friend had done nothing wrong.
‘If it was my child I would talk. I would tell you what I know because I would hate for anyone to ever think the worst of someone who does their best for their child,’ she said.
‘It was a freak accident. It was the worst … the weather didn’t help.’
Temperatures soared to 35C in the region on Sunday and hit 40C on Monday.
Victoria Police has confirmed the incident is not being treated as anything more than a tragic accident, with a report to be prepared for the Coroner.
The woman said she would now be forever tormented by the once idyllic view of her children’s playground.
‘This is my home. It happened here and now I have to see this horrible scene everyday in my head, that’s the worst part,’ she said.
The woman said it was not uncommon for her friend to visit her at her home on weekends.
‘It’s what we always do,’ she said.
The front yard of the home remained littered with children’s play equipment
It is understood the child’s mother had been resting when she later discovered her keys were missing.
She went to the car and discovered the child had died from a cardiac arrest after he became trapped for a ‘few hours’, the Herald Sun reported.
The boy had enjoyed a keen interest in cars.
A resident said they heard screams coming from down the street and went to rush to help.
‘Don’t go over there,’ another neighbour told them.
A second resident said they had been told the boy had been in the boot for a ‘few hours’.
Another local described the scene as ‘very sad’.
‘Kids in cars is not a good mix,’ they said.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesman said the child likely died from a cardiac event.
