By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A POLICEMAN has had his legs crushed after a teenager allegedly drove into him and pinned the officer between two cars in Cranbourne over the weekend.
The victim was released from hospital but will likely require physiotherapy after sustaining significant leg bruising.
A 15-year-old and 16-year-old from Carrum Downs, and a 15-year-old from Dandenong, were remanded in custody following the attempted getaway, while a 13-year-old from Narre Warren was released on bail.
The incident happened after two officers patrolling the area in a brawler van pulled over the four teens in an allegedly stolen car in High Street, Cranbourne, just before 3pm on Saturday.
When one of the officers walked towards the car, the teenage driver attempted to drive around the police van and a parked truck and hit the policeman in his lower legs, pinning him against the van.
The second officer rushed to help his partner by smashing the back window of the stolen car with his baton, attempting to get the teen driver to take his foot off the accelerator.
The truck driver also rushed to help hold the injured officer up while he was pinned and provided him with medical assistance.
After the second policeman broke the car’s window three of the teens inside fled the vehicle and ran off, while the fourth boy was unable to get out and was arrested at the scene.
The second officer got back in the police van and drove forward, unpinning his colleague.
The other three offenders were all caught later that day and the group has been charged with reckless conduct endangering life, serious assaulting police, burglary and theft.
Senior Constable Craig Chapman, who was on the scene just after the incident, said it “hit home when one of your own is injured.”
“You feel that it’s one of your family who has been hurt,” he said.
“You have to do business as usual but everyone is affected by it.
“You want to catch these people and have them held responsible.”
The air wing and canine units were called in during the attempted getaway, while the injured officer was raced to hospital.
The policeman is now out of hospital but sustained significant muscle and tendon injuries to his legs and will require treatment.
“It was a bit of chaos, the ambulance had just arrived when I got there and he (the injured officer) was in extreme pain at the time, pinned between the two vehicles – lots of civilians were affected by it,” Sen Const Chapman said.
“It was in the middle of the day so there were people who witnessed the member being pinned.”
It’s understood the policemen involved and the truck driver will later this year be formally recognised by Victoria Police for their bravery during the incident.
