Jeff Kremer heard someone yell "stop, stop", then turned to see pandemonium break out at Gold Coast airport.
The former Victorian police officer was walking from the terminal at noon on Saturday when he saw a lone police officer running after a white sedan that was careering down the footpath as dozens of people dived out of the way.
"People were literally jumping for their lives," Mr Kremer told AAP.
The driver braked and the pursuing officer, who is from NSW and was off duty, lunged through the car window, trying to snatch the keys.
He failed and the driver sped off again.
Mr Kremer said the car then suddenly reversed at the officer, who leapt of the way to avoid being hit.
"That officer had no fear, he just kept going," Mr Kremer said.
The driver then changed gears and hit the accelerator again, slamming the car into the terminal wall and windows, where he came to a halt.
The officer immediately pulled the driver from the car.
Mr Kremer helped him restrain the man, who was obviously "off his dial" on drugs.
"He was a big, big guy. He'd spent some time in the gymnasium," he said.
A group of Australian Federal Police detained the driver before handing him over to Queensland police.
The man allegedly stole the car at knife point about an hour earlier from the local golf club.
Mr Kremer has never seen anything like the NSW officer's bravery and wants to know who he is so he can tell the officer's superiors about him.
"He was risking everything, on his own, to protect the public," he said.
"What a legend."
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