Tragic news found online by Danish family

THE family of a Danish student killed while riding her bike in Brisbane found out about her death via a news website that showed photos of her belongings spread across the road, a court has heard.

Today, a coronial inquest is examining Rebekka Meyer’s death, and whether the Stanley Street/Annerley Road intersection needs upgrading to prevent further accidents and possible fatalities.

“I saw a body covered with a white blanket and rescue workers washing the street”.

Sister Tania Leimann questioned whether Rebekka, an experienced cyclist, would have positioned her bicycle in front of a large truck.

“I do believe he saw her and he forgot”.

Senior Constable David Armitage who investigated has told the inquest Ms Meyer was struck from behind by the truck’s bullbar, she then tumbled under the front cabin, hit the undercarriage and got caught in the trailer’s front wheels.

Mr Jeffrey “backed off the accelerator” and the truck felt normal so he “put the foot down again” but something didn’t feel right.

Mr Jeffrey said he looked in his mirror and noticed something “shoot out the back” of his truck but it wasn’t until he pulled over and a distressed witness approached him that he realised what had happened.

“I recall the cyclist initially moved first, but I noticed the truck had started to move sooner than I would have expected and the truck was accelerating faster than the cyclist, which led to the incident”, he said.

“I don’t believe Mr (Jody) Jeffrey (the truck driver) is an evil person”, Ms Leimann said.

But not long before the accident Ms Meyer informed her mother she had learned to ride like a local.

“There was a lot of shock, all of the people who were around instantly went into shock”.

She speculated the truck driver may have been distracted or didn’t see her sister.