Arabic version: أحد سكان ريدفيرن يتذكر الأثر الدائم للشرطية ميا لاي

According to ABC News, Constable Mia Lay, 20, was killed when a marked police vehicle crashed into a tree in Redfern in the early hours of Friday. She had been in the passenger seat while responding to reports of a car theft.

Lay was 16 months into her policing career. The driver, a 24-year-old male constable, suffered leg and head injuries and was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a stable condition. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described Lay as a “promising” officer who was “loved” within the South Sydney Police Area Command.

Redfern resident Tim Cochran said he had encountered Lay only once, after he called Triple Zero in January when he found an unresponsive man lying in a park. He said the constable arrived within minutes and made a lasting impression.

“I just remember thinking to myself how confident and capable this young woman was,” Cochran said. He said Lay answered questions from the emergency operator, helped ensure the man was safe and waited patiently until an ambulance arrived. The man gradually became responsive, he said.

Cochran said some residents in the area had a “strained relationship” with police, but he felt Lay made the community “better”. Her death comes before Police Remembrance Day next week. A critical incident investigation into the crash remains underway, with Lanyon saying police needed to understand the circumstances and keep officers as safe as possible.