A 24-year-old woman has been charged with murder after a senior Queensland police officer was hit and killed by an allegedly stolen car in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Police allege the young woman was a passenger inside the car when it swerved and struck Senior Constable David Masters at 3am while he was laying road spikes.
He had been investigating a suspected stolen vehicle on the Bruce Highway in Burpengary, a 30 minute drive north of Brisbane.
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The driver of the car allegedly fled without stopping, prompting a massive manhunt to uncover their identity and track them down.
This lead police to raid a home in Upper Caboolture, where they arrested the 24-year-old Morayfield woman.
She has since been charged with murder, setting fire to a car and unlawfully using a motor vehicle.
The woman has been refused bail and is scheduled to appear in Caboolture Magistrates Court tomorrow.
Earlier yesterday, investigators had tracked down the stolen car burnt out on Quarry Road in Moodlu, 20km north of the crash, yesterday afternoon.
The car had been rented from Ipswich on June 22 but was never returned, according to police.
The search for the driver of the vehicle continues and detectives have reissued their appeal for anyone with relevant dashcam footage or information relating to the alleged hit-run to come forward.
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Senior Constable Masters' death prompted an outpouring of support from the Queensland policing community.
Yesterday, fellow officers and members of the public laid flowers in tribute underneath a flag which was flown at half mast at Deception Bay Police Station, where Senior Constable Masters worked.
The senior officer had been in the Queensland Police for 10 years and was previously in the Mounted Police Unit before returning to first responder duties at the Deception Bay Command.
Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the officer's death was a tragedy.
"It is with a very heavy heart we confirm the loss of one of our own, a senior constable who was working hard to protect his community," she said.
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"My sincerest condolences go out to the officer's family, friends and colleagues at this incredibly difficult time.
"This is devastating news for our police family and we are offering support to all officers and staff."
Senior Constable Masters' death comes just weeks after Queensland Police were charged with breaking workplace safety laws over the use of road spikes.
It's alleged 26 officers have been injured using the vehicle-stopping devices in a seven year period, including Constable Peter McAulay who was critically injured and left with permanent damage when struck by a stolen vehicle in Goodna in 2018.
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