Jennifer Board Memorial Football Carnival to be help on anniversary of beloved rider’s death
A Townsville police officer still recalls the night his close friend Jennifer Board was senselessly killed, and the gut feeling he got moments after the crash came over the radio. Almost a year on, he’s making sure Jen will never be forgotten.
Townsville
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AS Luke Southgate was packing up his gear at the end of his shift, he heard a fatal crash come over the police radio on a quiet night in February.
At the time he didn’t realise one of his close friends Jennifer Board was involved, but it didn’t take long for something to “click”.
He sent her a text, ‘oi, are you at home?,’ clinging to some hope she was not the motorbike rider who had just been killed.
But Jen never replied.
Mr Southgate, a police officer, relived the torment from that night on February 5 like it was yesterday, but was determined for his beloved mate to be celebrated, not mourned.
Together with the help of Estates Football Club, Mr Southgate and other friends are planning to honour Jen’s life in a special carnival on the anniversary weekend of her death.
Jen died when she was struck by an alleged vigilante driver who lost control when he allegedly rammed a stolen car on Ross River Rd.
The driver, Chris Hughes, has been charged with her murder.
The Jennifer Board Memorial Football Carnival will be a day where friends, family and supporters can run around the football pitch, or just enjoy a beer and music on the sidelines in the “festival” atmosphere.
Jen was an avid futsal player with plans to join the Estates FC, but she never got the chance.
Mr Southgate met Jen through their mutual love of futsal and played together every Thursday night.
“She started off a bit dodgy, but then she just started hooking in,” Mr Southgate said.
He holds onto fond memories of himself, Jen and her sister Siana all piling into a car to get Zarraffa's, or going on hikes where Jen’s fitness shined.
But life hasn’t been the same without her.
“It’s been really hard, I think it makes it harder because she was just so amazing and never did anything wrong.
“It was hard to get my head around it, why it happened, and how it happened.
“Being a police officer you see this stuff happen, but it makes it difficult when it’s someone you know.”
Their last interaction was mundane. Jen sent Mr Southgate a message the night she died saying she left his whipper snipper on his deck. He was at work and didn’t reply.
It wasn’t until he got home after hearing the fatal crash job come over the radio when he realised it could have been Jen.
“I just knew. The Snap Chat map wasn’t active, her Facebook Messenger wasn’t active.
“If the crash was 10 or 15 minutes earlier I would have been at the scene.”
While his beautiful friend is now gone, Mr Southgate is passionate about keeping her memory alive through the carnival.
“I think she’d be pretty happy to see all her mates coming together for this event, probably a bit shame too.
“We’ve had heaps of support already, even if people don’t play they can still come down and join in the fun.”
He hoped it would prosper into an annual event.
Estates FC will be hosting the mixed six-a-side carnival at Victoria Park on February 5 and 6, 2022.
For more information, to register a team, or if your business can offer support, email jenniferbmfc@gmail.com.
Originally published as Jennifer Board Memorial Football Carnival to be help on anniversary of beloved rider’s death
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