'Strained' relations with police made 'better' by young officer, local says

An inner-Sydney resident only had a brief interaction with a young officer who was killed in a police car crash on Friday, but the local said the female constable left a lasting impression.

Twenty-year-old Constable Mia Lay was in the passenger seat of a marked police vehicle, responding to reports of a car theft, when it crashed into a tree in Redfern in the early hours of Friday morning.

The young officer, who was only 16 months into her policing career, died in the collision.

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.

In the hours after the incident, Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon paid tribute to Constable Lay and described her as a "promising" officer who was "loved" within the South Sydney Police Area Command.

Redfern resident Tim Cochran said that was exactly the type of officer he encountered when he called for assistance earlier this year.

Mr Cochran told the ABC he noticed an unresponsive man lying in the park in January this year and when he called Triple Zero (000), Constable Lay was at the scene within minutes.

"I just remember thinking to myself how confident and capable this young woman was,"

he said.

"And here I am, like [a] middle-aged dude with really no clue how to help this man.

"She was answering all the [emergency operator's] questions that I couldn't answer, and doing all the things to make sure that this guy was OK."

Mr Cochran said the man gradually became responsive with the help of the young officer and that she waited patiently with the man as an ambulance arrived.

He said in an area, where some residents have a "strained relationship" with police, he felt like the female constable made his community "better".

"I just remember feeling very thankful to have somebody like that in my community who is literally seconds away," Mr Cochran said.

"She left a really big impression on me that day for those things and because of that, I never forgot her.

"When I saw her picture this morning on Facebook … it was just like gut punch."

Tragedy ahead of force's remembrance day

Constable Lay's death comes as officers around the country prepare for Police Remembrance Day next week.

The 20-year-old had returned from a holiday just last week with her partner, who is also a member of the force.

The pair had been stationed together when she had a brief stint at the Eastern Beaches Police Area Command.

Her auntie also works for NSW Police State Crime and was described as a "mentor" figure for her niece.

"I guess she left that kind of impression on me as just a complete stranger," Mr Cochran said.

"I just can't imagine the impact that this woman would have had on the people in her life."

A critical incident investigation into the circumstances of the fatal crash remained underway.

At a press conference on Friday, Commissioner Lanyon said the investigation was still in its infancy.

"When officers are actually travelling on urgent duty, when they have lights and sirens on, they are exempt under the Australian road rules so they can exceed the speed limit," he said

"But we need to understand the circumstances and as the commissioner, what I'm keen to do is make sure our officers are as safe as possible."