Toddler hit and killed by family car in South Australia

A two-year-old boy has died after he was hit by the family car in South Australia.

The mother of the boy had pulled over to the side of the rural dirt road, outside Port Pirie in South Australia, after her son asked to go to the toilet.

Although police are still conducting their investigations, it's believed the car was still in drive as the mother took her son to the toilet.

It appears to have rolled forward, striking the boy.

He died at the scene.

"It's a very tragic and devastating set of circumstances for the family, the community in general, everyone involved - it's not a good situation at allI," Sergeant Stephen Griggs from South Australia police said.

The boy's infant sister was a passenger in the silver SUV when at about 11.30am on Sunday the incident happened.

"It's early stages in the investigation and we're not 100 per cent sure, but it would appear the vehicle was still in drive as the driver got out to assist the child and the vehicle has come into contact," Sgt Griggs said.

Emergency services were called with paramedics working frantically to try and save the boy.

The boy's father received the heartbreaking phone call while he was at work and raced to be by his wife's side.

The mother wasn't physically injured but was taken to the Port Pirie Hospital to be treated for shock.

A large section of the road was closed for hours as investigators tried to piece together exactly what happened.

"It's never nice to respond to anything like this, but it's part of the job so you just deal with it," Sgt Griggs said.

It's the second fatal accident involving a toddler on Port Davis road.

Four years ago a two-year-old girl was struck by a car and killed after running out from her driveway.