Family of Brisbane doctor killed at pedestrian black spot speaks out for first time

The family of a respected Brisbane doctor who was killed at a pedestrian black spot have spoken out for the first time, revealing he had an eerie premonition about the intersection before his death.

THE family of a respected Brisbane doctor killed at a pedestrian black spot he had been campaigning to fix have spoken out for the first time.

Dr Geoff Copland was hit by an out-of-control car at a notoriously dangerous intersection on Venner Rd at Annerley in August.

Dr Geoff Copland was hit by an out-of-control car at a notoriously dangerous intersection on Venner Rd at Annerley in August.

The 68-year-old was on his daily walk when he was hit and pinned under a vehicle that flipped and rolled after a two-car collision.

The well-known medical administrator and GP succumbed to his horrific injuries eight days later in hospital.

The tragedy was twofold – not only had a loving father been ripped away from a family but Dr Copland had spent years campaigning for safety upgrades at the very intersection which claimed his life.

The Venner Rd and Lagonda/Frederick St intersection is now in the sights of his daughter Jennifer Knight.

“Dad feared that someone be killed on this road one day, we just never imagined that it would be him,” Ms Knight told The Courier Mail.

“He was very vocal about pedestrian safety and the lack of care some drivers were taking in the area.

"He'd be out counting trucks coming down the road and seeing all the people rat-running through there."

Jenny Knight, whose father Geoff Copland was killed on Venner Rd in August, with her son Ben, 5. Picture: Peter Wallis

Ms Knight has taken up the mantle, launching a petition through Brisbane City Council to have built-up residential areas reduced to 40km/h speed zones.

"That might not have changed anything regarding dad’s death but drivers will have a greater sense of care if it goes ahead," she said.

In the wake of Dr Copland’s death, numerous residents told The Courier-Mail that the intersection was a magnet for collisions and many avoided the area.

“It’s very dangerous, I’ve see accidents all the time for as long as I can remember and I’ve been here since 1980,” Brian Cronan said.

The penalty should be introduced along with lower speed limits

Ms Knight’s own push for change at the treacherous roadway is a way of dealing with the grief that will “take a long time to get over.”

She described her father, a former deputy medical superintendent at the Gold Coast Hospital, as “crazy smart and very determined” who also had a playful side.

“He was a bit of a prankster always playing practical jokes on his grandchildren," she said.

In the lead up to his death, Dr Copland had been building a strong bond with his grandson, five-year-old Benjamin. They spent days on the family farm tinkering around with rockets.

“That was the really sad part for me, they’d started to form such a close relationship and that has now been ripped away from us,” Ms Knight said.

Dr Copland’s favourite times were spent at the hobby farm in Balledean with his wife Karin and younger daughter Tamara.

“They really built a beautiful farm together and it’s not the same since his death,” Ms Knight said.