A police dog has been thrown from a vehicle after being hit by a reckless Mercedes driver, with officers saying an unlicensed teenager was behind the wheel when he smashed into the unmarked patrol car. The dramatic crash on the Tullamarine Freeway in Melbourne’s north sent the police vehicle airborne, flipping over a barrier with an officer behind the wheel and Rocco, a five-year-old German shepherd, in the back. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download todayThe duo were on their way to work when the police dog was thrown onto the road during the high-impact collision. Rocco was thrown from a police vehicle on the Tullamarine Freeway. Credit: 7NEWS“He saw him out on the freeway and thankfully a passerby had gotten to him and secured the dog, which we’re really grateful for,” Boysen said.