The husband of a Sydney woman fighting for her life after a crash involving a police car has promised to dedicate his life to stopping high-speed pursuits in NSW.
Gai Vieira remains in a coma with multiple injuries eight days after a highway patrol car collided with her Mercedes at an intersection in Cronulla on August 5.
It's believed officers were chasing another driver who was allegedly using a mobile phone. Senior command has refused to say if the police vehicle had its lights and sirens on at the time.
Racehorse owner Bert Vieira says his wife of 43 years "never stood a chance" because the cop car was travelling at more than 140km/hr and its lights and sirens weren't activated.
"This should never have happened," he said through tears on Thursday.
Mr Vieira wants NSW to ban or at least restrict high-speed police pursuits as is the case in Victoria and Queensland.
Victorian police are only allowed to chase fleeing drivers when there is a threat to public safety or a serious offence has been committed. Queensland has a similarly strict no-pursuit policy.
"Other states have banned all this chasing because it has cost lives," Mr Vieira told reporters.
"It's got to stop. We have got to stop this. I will devote my life to stop this."
The distraught father is upset no-one has admitted liability and he's demanding answers.
"How would it be if it was your wife, your daughter, your son, your husband, and this happens because police think they're above the law?
"We're not looking to punish anybody but everybody's got to take their own (responsibility)."
The senior constable behind the wheel a week ago suffered facial injuries but was later released from hospital.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman says the government has to get the balance right.
"Anyone who is injured or who loses someone, it is always an incredibly distressing situation, police though have to do their job," he told reporters on Thursday.
"We've got to get the balance right between, on the one hand, keeping the safety of the community, avoiding injuries and deaths on occasion to people but making sure that criminals don't think they can get away as soon as a police car siren goes off."
