A police commander has described how he held the hands of an officer taken to hospital for serious head injuries after an alleged hit and run and the emotional toll on the officer's family because of COVID restrictions at the hospital.
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On August 30, police were pursuing a stolen car on the Monaro Highway, Nimmitabel, about 2km outside of Cooma.
The car stopped and the driver got out of the car then fled.
The man was seen getting into an Audi, which then drove off, allegedly hitting the officer.
The constable suffered serious head injuries and was treated at the scene before being airlifted to Canberra Hospital.
He has since been released and is recovering at home.
The Audi was later found completely burnt out.
On Friday, Monaro Police District Commander Superintendent John Klepczarek said "it was quite a horrific scene on the night".
"There were at times fears he may not have made it," Supt Klepczarek said.
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"It's one of those things that as a commander you never want to be involved in.
"What made it more emotional was at that time because of COVID, the family wouldn't have been allowed time to spend with him when there were fears for his health."
The superintendent recalled he was the only person allowed to be at his colleague's bedside where he passed on messages from family members.
He said he also held the officer's hands to "make sure he hung in there".
"I was not going to be the last person he saw," Supt Klepczarek said.
"Our thoughts are also with the female officer who was his partner on the night.
"She suffered quite horrific psychological scarring on the night - to be holding a fellow police officer in pitch dark, who was lifeless at the time."
ACT residents Stephen John McCracken, Rebecca Jane Keys and Jaiden Dale Gardner, accused of being inside that Audi on the night, were recently arrested.
McCracken and Keys, who have been extradited to NSW, have been charged with being inside a stolen car, failing to stop to help the police officer and using an offensive weapon in company to stop detention.
The pair, 30 and 43, respectively, have not pleaded to their charges and have been refused bail. They will appear in Queanbeyan Local Court on October 25.
The ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday refused bail for Gardner, 26. He is before the territory's supreme court for an unrelated case.
Supt Klepczarek said NSW Police would apply to extradite him once his ACT case was finalised.
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