Highway Patrol Officers had tried to stop an allegedly stolen white Holden Commodore sedan 30km north of Glen Innes just after 4pm.

Police pursued the car but terminated the chase for safety reasons after a rock was thrown at an unmarked police car.

The suspected stolen car continued south along the highway before turning on to the Guyra-Ebor Rd.

A short time later, a passenger was allegedly spotted throwing rocks at oncoming traffic.

One of the projectiles penetrated the windscreen of a blue dual-cab four-wheel-drive ute - striking the driver, 29-year-old Patrick Garrett, in the head.

He immediately lost consciousness at the wheel, forcing his father, who was travelling in the front passenger's seat, to take control of the vehicle.

Mr Garrett was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition, where he underwent nine hours of brain surgery.

His condition has since improved and he has been moved back to Tamworth for rehabilitation where he is reportedly making steady improvement.

The driver of the stolen Commodore, Dare, was earlier charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent, using an offensive weapon in company to prevent detention, driving dangerously and failing to stop when pursued by police.

He was also charged with robbery, with the prosecutor alleging that he had entered a house, threatened the occupant, and stolen petrol.

The other three men faced similar charges to Dare's, but without dangerous driving and robbery charges.

The court was told the woman was the only one of the five without a criminal record; however, the prosecutor claimed she had admitted to police that she had thrown all the rocks.

All five people have been refused bail and will be mentioned again in court on January 23.