SAN DIEGO, CA - San Diego Police Officer Austin Machitar was tragically killed Monday night while responding to a high-speed chase when a BMW driven in excess of 90 miles per hour slammed into his patrol SUV causing it to burst into flames.
Authorities said that while Officer Machitar, 30, was killed in the crash, his partner, 27-year-old Officer Zachary Martinez remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. The suspect who caused the fatal accident was also killed, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
In a post to X, SDPD wrote, "We thank the community and our fellow law enforcement agencies for all your outpouring of love and support as we grieve this heartbreaking loss of Officer Austin Machitar and as Officer Zachary Martinez still fights to recover from his injuries."
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the patrol officer as possessing "a very infectious smile and a character that made him one of a kind.” He added, “Austin was the kind of guy you wanted on your team. Athletic. He was a competitor. He had a passion for training. He was one of our field training officers."
Providing an update on Officer Maritinez, the chief said, “We are very optimistic that he’s going to be OK, but he has a very long road to go,” describing his injuries as "numerous."
Wahl said that the California Highway Patrol is conducting an independent investigation “due to the enormity of this situation and all the emotion that’s behind it,” and Wahl could provide little information about the suspect and declined to take questions.
He told reporters, “I ask for patience at this point. We have a lot of questions that we want to answer ourselves, but unfortunately, it’s going to take time to reconstruct everything that happened.”
He did however explain that the collision happened west of Interstate 805 and that officers saw the suspect vehicle driving at "a high rate of speed" and attempted a traffic stop. The driver fled and officers gave a brief chase but the high speeds led a supervisor to terminate the pursuit.
Officers Machitar and Martinez, who were not involved in the chase but were en route to respond, were traveling in Machitar's SUV when the suspect's vehicle slammed into its side. Officer Machitar and the suspect both died at the scene. Wahl said two other drivers were involved in the accident.
The San Diego Police Officers Association is directing those who wish to donate to the Machitar and Martinez families to visit http://sdpoa.org.
Authorities said that while Officer Machitar, 30, was killed in the crash, his partner, 27-year-old Officer Zachary Martinez remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. The suspect who caused the fatal accident was also killed, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
In a press release from the SDPD, the department said, "Machitar joined the department in 2019 and was assigned to patrol at SDPD’s Northern Division. During his time with SDPD, Officer Machitar served as a Field Training Officer and took an active role in recruiting new officers by participating in recruiting videos and photoshoots for the department." Officer Martinez was also Officer Machitar's former trainee.It is with the heaviest of hearts that the San Diego Police Department announces the tragic loss of Officer Austin Machitar #7989. Officer Machitar and his partner, Officer Zachary Martinez #1901, were involved in a collision last night while responding to a vehicle pursuit. pic.twitter.com/1Do3TOxmTd
— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) August 28, 2024
In a post to X, SDPD wrote, "We thank the community and our fellow law enforcement agencies for all your outpouring of love and support as we grieve this heartbreaking loss of Officer Austin Machitar and as Officer Zachary Martinez still fights to recover from his injuries."
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl described the patrol officer as possessing "a very infectious smile and a character that made him one of a kind.” He added, “Austin was the kind of guy you wanted on your team. Athletic. He was a competitor. He had a passion for training. He was one of our field training officers."
Providing an update on Officer Maritinez, the chief said, “We are very optimistic that he’s going to be OK, but he has a very long road to go,” describing his injuries as "numerous."
Wahl said that the California Highway Patrol is conducting an independent investigation “due to the enormity of this situation and all the emotion that’s behind it,” and Wahl could provide little information about the suspect and declined to take questions.
He told reporters, “I ask for patience at this point. We have a lot of questions that we want to answer ourselves, but unfortunately, it’s going to take time to reconstruct everything that happened.”
He did however explain that the collision happened west of Interstate 805 and that officers saw the suspect vehicle driving at "a high rate of speed" and attempted a traffic stop. The driver fled and officers gave a brief chase but the high speeds led a supervisor to terminate the pursuit.
Officers Machitar and Martinez, who were not involved in the chase but were en route to respond, were traveling in Machitar's SUV when the suspect's vehicle slammed into its side. Officer Machitar and the suspect both died at the scene. Wahl said two other drivers were involved in the accident.
The San Diego Police Officers Association is directing those who wish to donate to the Machitar and Martinez families to visit http://sdpoa.org.
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Comments
2024-08-31T09:21-0500 | Comment by: James
GOOD RIDDANCE ..... NO sympathy here for dead or wounded OATH violating FILTH .....