Douglas William WREMBECK

On Wednesday 15 August 1962 Constable Wrembeck, of the Brisbane Traffic Branch, was rostered on a 3pm to 11pm shift and left the station to patrol the South Brisbane area. At 10.15pm Wrembeck, riding his police Triumph motorcycle, was returning towards the city to complete his shift. He observed a Ford Zephyr sedan fail to give a signal as it turned from Vulture Street into Grey Street. Wrembeck stopped the car to speak to the driver. The Zephyr was parked close and parallel to the western kerb in Grey Street near Tribune Street at South Brisbane.

The Zephyr was fitted with a semaphore type indicator (this type of indicator has a signal arm which pops out from the body of the car). Wrembeck asked the driver to accompany him to the rear of the car in order to prove or disprove the use of the indicator.

Wrembeck and the Zephyr driver were standing at the rear of the car. Wrembeck had moved slightly towards the centre of the road and while there was struck by a Vanguard Space Master sedan which was headed towards the city. Wrembeck was struck on his left side and the force threw him against the side of the Zephyr and then up onto the bonnet. His body then rolled off the car, hit his motorcycle and finally came to rest beside it, 27 feet from the impact. The Vanguard sedan stopped 50 yards on from the accident but then drove away from the scene.

Wrembeck, close to death, was rushed to the nearby Mater Hospital. He died on 16 August 1962 from his Injuries. The driver of the offending car was located and had three charges laid against him: (1) unlawfully killing Constable Wrembeck; (2) being under the influence of alcohol whilst driving a motor vehicle and (3) failing to stop after being involved in a road accident. He was fined, found guilty of dangerous driving and was sentenced to six months in jail and disqualified from driving for five years.