Bystanders jumped to action to help three injured people escape a car after it hit a tree and burst into flames shortly before 7.30pm on August 31.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But the good Samaritans watched as the near-miss took an unexpected turn.
Two men and a 12-year-old boy escaped the wreckage at the Cranebrook crash site in Western Sydney but the child was the only one remaining when emergency services arrived minutes later.
One of the adult men, who sustained a broken leg and head lacerations, allegedly escaped the scene after two men arrived with a shopping trolley, witnesses told police.
The other adult man was last seen leaving the Pendock Road intersection on foot.
The crashed car had allegedly been stolen from a Cranebrook home during an early morning break and enter on August 30. Police said the residents slept through the alleged robbery and were not disturbed.
After the crash, paramedics went to a house on Rosannah Way, Cranebrook, where they could hear the gravely injured man "yelling in distress".
But paramedics and police were refused permission to step on the property so the riot squad were called.
A fracas broke out in the home where pepper spray was used on two men aged 40 and 55 years. Police said they used a Taser on an aggressive dog.
The injured man was taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment and to undergo mandatory testing.
The 12-year-old boy was taken to Nepean Hospital with a broken leg and hip injuries.
The condition of the third passenger is unknown.
Officers charged the two men, aged 40 and 55, with hindering police. The older man is due to appear at Penrith Local Court on September 14 while the younger man is due to appear on September 21.
Police said the stun gunned dog was uninjured and was left in the care of a neighbour.
Anyone with dashcam, mobile or CCTV footage of the crash is urged to contact police while investigations continue into the identity of the driver and cause of the accident.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence.
IN OTHER NEWS: