‘Ultimate sacrifice’: Police officer killed in horror Sydney crash identified

A 20-year-old police officer killed in an early morning crash has been identified as Constable Mia Lay, as her shocked and devastated colleagues investigate the inner Sydney crash.

The female constable was a passenger in a fully marked police vehicle travelling under lights and sirens along Gibbons Street, Redfern, when it smashed into a tree about 1.30am on Friday. She died instantly, police said.

A 24-year-old male constable – the driver – was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a stable condition with leg and facial injuries.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, who returned early from annual leave and addressed the incident on Friday, said Lay had made the “ultimate sacrifice”.

“Thank you for your courage. Thank you for choosing to join the NSW Police Force, and thank you for serving the community of NSW. You will not be forgotten,” he said.

Lay joined the police 16 months ago, graduating from the academy in May last year, the commissioner said.

“She showed exceptional promise and was well-loved through the South Sydney police area command,” Lanyon said.

“She would have been an outstanding police officer, and to lose her life, both in its prime and just at the infancy of becoming a police officer, is a terrible tragedy.”

The two officers were responding to reports of a vehicle theft in Glebe when the crash occurred.

Lay was based at Redfern police station – about 100 metres from the crash site – in her first posting after graduating from the force’s Goulburn academy. The male constable is based at the same station.

Officers were seen hugging and comforting one another at the scene on Friday morning.

“It’s just a tragic day for all police in NSW where two young officers were doing their job as police across the state do 24/7,” Police Association of NSW president Kevin Morton said.

In a statement, the union said officers across NSW were shocked at the death of their colleague.

Premier Chris Minns said: “Today the entire NSW Police family will be grieving.

“My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the officer who has lost her life.

“Every day our police officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe.

“I’m also thinking of the officer injured in the crash and everyone who responded to this terrible scene.”

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said police officers dedicate themselves to looking after others.

“Today the NSW Police family is mourning one of its own,” Catley said.

“My heart is with her family, her loved ones and her colleagues on this dark day.”

Catley spoke to Lay’s parents on Friday morning.

“They are in shock, as any parent would be in these circumstances,” she said.

“Her parents were very generous in the circumstances, but they wanted us to know – and wanted the people of NSW to know – that she loved her job and she loved being a member of the NSW Police Force.”

Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said Lay was out working, protecting the community, “while most of us were asleep”.

“Our police put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect us. Today, we stand with them as they mourn one of their own,” she said.

A crime scene has been established, and a critical incident has been declared. Detectives have removed several bags of evidence from the crash site.