Police have begun examing the cherry-picker that killed an Avondale girl as she walked to school on Monday.

Ten-year-old Somali girl Rahma Mohamed died after the boom of the cherry-picker came loose and swung out across the footpath, hitting her in the head.

Rahma was helping her mother take her four younger siblings to the nearby Avondale Primary School when she was struck down on New North Rd near its intersection with Blockhouse Bay Rd.

She was buried yesterday in Ponsonby after a midday Muslim service.

The cherry-picker, its trailer and the station wagon towing it, were all being scrutinised by investigators at a police compound yesterday.

Sergeant Sandy Beckett, of the police Crash Analysis Unit, said investigators were focusing on how and why the boom came loose and whether it had travelled a significant distance unsecured. "That's the area of concern and we will be looking at it very carefully."

He said a decision on whether the driver of the station wagon would be charged would be made early next week, when the results of the analysis were due.

The yellow Crown cherry-picker, which holds a 150kg bucket at the end of its boom, is owned by North Shore company Go Hire Access Platforms.

The owner of the company, Glenn Eddleston, of Browns Bay, was towing the cherry-picker back to the city from a job in New Lynn when the accident happened at about 8.55 am.

He was interviewed by police after the accident.

A lawyer acting for Go Hire, Auckland barrister David Jones, said everyone at the company was distressed over the accident.

"[Mr Eddleston] is distraught about what has happened and is cooperating fully with the police in their inquiries."

Sergeant Beckett said he was negotiating with an expert in cherry-picker Machinery to do an independent report on whether mechanical or human failure was to blame for the boom's swinging loose.

He said the investigation had been split into two parts.

The police crash unit was investigating the scene of the accident and the state of the machine, and detectives were gathering eyewitness accounts.

Detective Rick Veacock, of Avondale police, said he was piecing together what had happened from the numerous witnesses who saw some or all of the accident.

He said he had not yet spoken to Mr Eddleston, but he hoped to do so this week.