A tragic car accident in San Diego, California has resulted in the death of one police officer and left another officer critically injured, along with the possible death of a driver believed to be a teenager.
According to a report from the City News Service on the morning of August 27th, the accident occurred around 11:30 p.m. the previous day at the intersection of Clairemont Mesa Blvd and Doliva Drive in the Clairemont Mesa area.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl informed the media that the accident involved an SUV police car and a BMW driven by a suspect who was parked illegally, as well as other vehicles.
During the collision, the police car caught fire. The officer driving the police car died at the scene, while the officer in the passenger seat was thrown through the windshield and was rushed to a trauma center with serious injuries.
The suspect was also taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The City News Service reported that the suspect may have been a 14 or 15-year-old boy, although there was no official confirmation on August 27th.
Chief Wahl, holding back tears during a press conference that morning, said: “I truly wish that I were standing before you today not announcing that one of our own left us last night, while another is fighting for his life.”
He added, “Last night, a vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Our officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the suspect failed to yield. A brief pursuit ensued with our police vehicle, but due to the suspect’s high speed, the pursuit was terminated. Two officers were driving a police car in response to the fleeing suspect when the suspect’s vehicle struck the police car on the side at a high speed.”
Chief Wahl mentioned that no one in the other vehicles involved in the crash was injured.
Due to the gravity of the incident and the emotions involved, the San Diego Police Department has transferred the investigation of this fatal accident to the California Highway Patrol.
Wahl expressed, “At such moments, words cannot convey my feelings. Our officers come to work to help those who need assistance and put their lives in the hands of strangers. Yet last night, we lost a dedicated officer.”
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond released a statement on social media on August 27th, saying, “This morning, shocking news arrived that we mourn the loss of a loyal officer. These brave men and women put their lives in danger every day to protect our community. We must never take their service and sacrifice for granted. During this difficult time, my heart goes out to the officer’s family, friends, and all who knew them. May they find peace and strength in the days ahead.”
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office also expressed their condolences for the loss of the police officer on duty and offered prayers for the second officer injured in the incident.
Later that evening, the police department released the name of the fallen officer as 30-year-old Austin Machitar, with 5 and a half years of service. Governor Newsom of California promptly announced that flags would be flown at half-mast at the state capitol in honor of Machitar.
The injured officer was identified as 29-year-old Zach Martinez, a Navy reserve member and paramedic from Texas. Martinez, who trained under Machitar when he joined the San Diego Police Department a year and a half ago, is not in critical condition but faces a long road to recovery.
On August 27th, the San Diego Police Officers Association launched a fundraising campaign to assist the families of the fallen officer and the injured officer, aiming to raise $250,000 for funeral and medical expenses. Within 6 hours that day, they had raised over $35,000.
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