Townsville community mourning Jennifer Board one year after fatal motorcycle crash

Jennifer Board was barely into adulthood when she was killed in an alleged vigilante chase gone wrong in Townsville a year ago.

The 22-year-old's death prompted legislative reform and led Townsville residents to demand action on the city's long-documented history of youth crime.

But for Jennifer's friends and family the past year has been spent learning how to live without a young woman who «exuded» positivity.

«Jen and I were quite inseparable,» sister Siana Board said.

«If there was me, there was her.

»It was very hard to learn how to live on my own without her."

On the night of February 5, 2021, Jennifer was riding her motorcycle along Ross River Road.

Police allege a car driven by alleged vigilante Christopher Michael Hughes was in pursuit of a stolen car when his Holden Statesman veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided with the motorcycle.

Jennifer was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Hughes is charged with murder and remains in custody.

At the time of her death, Jennifer was aspiring to be a police officer. 

Siana said the impact her sister had on the Townsville community became apparent within hours of her death.

«The amount of support we got from people who knew Jen and knew how kind she was, and how many lives she touched — it really overwhelmed me,» she said.

The fatal crash led to swift amendments to Queensland's Youth Justice Act and a shift in the discourse on Townsville vigilantes and the city's long-standing problem with youth crime.

For years, the Queensland Police Service (QPS) has condemned civilians who took the law into their own hands.

But its message took on renewed significance after Jennifer's death.

Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said the death of Jennifer Board shocked Townsville.

«It galvanised