‘I’m totally embarrassed’: Funeral vehicle driver speaks after dead baby found on side of road
A funeral vehicle driver has spoken up after a dead baby was found on the side of a Queensland road after it fell from a vehicle while being transferred to a Brisbane morgue.
The corpse was found by road workers, a Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson confirmed to Yahoo News.
Driver Richard Bertrand had been transporting the body from Rockhampton to Brisbane’s John Tonge Centre on Wednesday night.
While in the Sunshine Coast, vehicles were switched over and the baby was placed on the roof.
The infant’s body fell onto the roadside not long after Mr Bertrand drove off. It was not discovered missing until the vehicle arrived at the morgue, Yahoo News understands.
The infant’s body was reportedly found by road workers at Verrierdale, on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Mr Bertrand runs Queensland Funeral Transfers. He lives in Gracemere, which is the same town evacuated due to fire the very same day this mistake happened.
“I’m totally embarrassed by the whole situation,” Richard Bertrand of Queensland Funeral Transfers said in a statement.
“It has knocked me around, of course it has.
“My thoughts go to the family.”
A Queensland Health spokesperson confirmed to Yahoo7 News it was investigating the incident and said the vehicle used to transfer the body was provided by a private funeral contractor.
“We’re aware of the incident and we’ve spoken to the family involved who are obviously very distressed and requested privacy,” the spokesperson added.
Queensland Health has suspended his contract.
A Queensland Police spokeswoman told Yahoo7 News police were aware of the incident and do not believe the baby’s death is suspicious. It isn’t likely that charges will be laid.
– With AAP
