Two Warwickshire Police officers have spoken about the vital support they received from the Police Federation following a traumatic fatal road traffic collision and the lengthy investigation that followed.

PC Mateusz Dabrowski and PC Dominic Strange were on duty in July 2023 when they stopped a suspicious vehicle. The driver failed to stop, leading to a pursuit before crashing and becoming trapped in a burning vehicle.

Despite the danger, both officers repeatedly entered the vehicle in an attempt to rescue the driver before carrying out CPR once he had been pulled from the wreckage. Less than a minute later, the vehicle exploded, underlining the extraordinary risk both officers took in their determination to save a life. Tragically, the driver later died. Their actions were later recognised with a nomination for the National Police Bravery Awards 2025.

As the incident involved a death following police contact, a formal investigation was launched. However, both officers were treated as Key Police Witnesses rather than subjects of the investigation.

For PC Strange, the incident came at the very beginning of his policing career.

Just 16 weeks into the job, he found himself dealing with a situation few officers ever expect to face, followed by the unfamiliar and highly stressful Post-Incident Procedure (PIP) process.

Both officers said the support of the Police Federation was immediate and reassuring from the moment the incident occurred.

"The Fed was there straight away," said PC Dabrowski.

Federation representatives worked alongside the post-incident manager and maintained regular contact throughout the investigation, helping the officers understand what would happen next, navigate the process and keep up to date with developments.

"Simon Payne was there from the Fed and the post-incident manager was leading it on that night," recalled PC Dabrowski. "Then we just had regular contact and updates from the Fed in regards to the progress of the investigation, what happens next and if there were any updates.

"We had more updates from the Fed because they were the ones who had regular contact with the IOPC, so they just fed any information they had on to us."

The officers described being separated after leaving the scene and taken to Stratford as part of the post-incident process. Despite the extraordinary circumstances, they said the arrangements were professional, organised and helped bring a sense of calm to an otherwise overwhelming situation.

"On the night, it all felt very smooth," said PC Strange. "We were separated but together, if that makes sense, and told not to speak to each other. We travelled to Stratford and by the time we got there, the PIM suite was set out and ready to go.

"We were told what was happening very early on. It just felt well presented. It was a smooth transition into a stressful situation and then being able to sit down and talk about what happened. It was all very well oiled."

For PC Strange, who had never experienced anything similar before, that early support was particularly important.

"It was reassuring because I was 16 weeks into the job, so I didn't really know the process," he said. "I'd never heard of it happening before and no one on the shift had spoken about it.”

"The main job from the Fed was to reassure us, and they done that really well” added PC Dabrowski.

Both officers recalled how their thoughts were racing at the scene as they tried to make sense of what had happened and what might come next.

Having never been involved in such an incident before, the uncertainty of the process added to the emotional strain.

"I was spinning 100 per cent on the scene," said PC Dabrowski. "Everything was going through my head because I'd never been in that situation before, so I didn't know what to expect.

"At one point I thought we'd get arrested because of what had happened. You've just got loads coming into your head. But when we landed there and just took everything step by step, we calmed down a lot."

The officers said the Federation's experience of supporting members through post-incident investigations and its established working relationship with the IOPC provided valuable reassurance during an unfamiliar and highly stressful process. The regular contact, clear communication and guidance helped them understand each stage of the investigation and focus on their welfare.

Their experience highlights the crucial role the Police Federation plays in supporting members following traumatic incidents. From immediate attendance and welfare support through to providing updates during lengthy investigations, Federation representatives help officers navigate some of the most challenging moments of their careers.

For PCs Dabrowski and Strange, that support proved invaluable as they came to terms with a traumatic event, the loss of life involved and the scrutiny that inevitably follows serious incidents.

At every stage, they knew they were not facing the process alone.

Listen to their full story