‘They wouldn’t even know who I am’: Injured traffic controller speaks from hospital

A Brisbane traffic controller hit by a car while working on a council job has spoken for the first time from his hospital bed, saying he is unsure he will be able to work again.

Michael De Vos, 69, was putting out traffic cones on a Brisbane City Council work site when he was hit by a car on Kelvin Grove Road about 1.40am on Friday.

Suffering head injuries and broken ribs, collarbone, leg and hip, De Vos was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition, where he was placed in an induced coma.

Traffic controller Michael De Vos said he hadn’t suffered a single broken bone before he was hit by a car on Kelvin Grove Road.Credit: CFMEU

It was understood he was taken out of the intensive care unit on Wednesday afternoon.

“This should never have happened,” De Vos said on Thursday morning, in a media statement provided by the CFMEU.

“There should have been another worker with me and a cover ute to make the area safe.”

An online fundraiser for Michael De Vos, known as ‘Vossy’, said the 69-year-old loved his job.

He had been working for traffic control company Avada at the time he was struck.

De Vos, a much-loved member of his industry, said conditions had gotten worse for traffic controllers.

“This goes on all the time. Companies cut corners on safety and workers pay the price. I’d never broken a bone in my life, but look at me now.

“The value of the worker has gone down as the company got bigger. Avada wouldn’t even know who I am,” he said.

“I want to thank the hospital staff for taking care of me. They’ve been amazing.

“I also want to thank the traffic control community and the CFMEU for their support.

“Traffic controllers should be treated with more respect. We do a dangerous job and we work day and night.

“I love my job, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to work again.”

CFMEU offsite co-ordinator Blake Hynes this week called on the council to improve safety conditions for its outdoor workers.

He said the incident illustrated why traffic control was one of the most dangerous jobs.

When contacted for comment on Tuesday, a council spokeswoman said the matter was under investigation by Queensland Police and Workplace Health and Safety. She said the council would act on any recommendations made.

Avada managing director Dan Crowley, a former undercover police officer and Australian rugby union player, said he was deeply saddened by the crash.

He said Avada was working with police and Workplace Health and Safety as they conducted their investigations.

“We will take all necessary steps to ensure we continue to prioritise the safety of everyone involved in our operations,” Crowley said.

He said he could not comment further given the case was under investigation.

Police said the driver of the car, a 70-year-old man, was taken to hospital as a precaution. No charges had been laid.

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