SAN DIEGO – A San Diego police officer killed when a fleeing vehicle crashed into his patrol car had been with the department since 2019, authorities said.
Officer Austin Machitar, 30, died in the collision late Monday and his partner that night, Officer Zach Martinez, 27, was critically injured, the department said.
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The driver of the speeding car also was killed. No information about the driver was released.
The department said Machitar was assigned to patrol, served as a field training officer and actively participated in videos and photoshoots intended to recruit new officers.
“His distinguished service to our city makes him a hero,” Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement.
Martinez was in critical but stable condition at a hospital, according to the police statement Tuesday night. There was no update Wednesday morning. Martinez has been with the department for 1 1/2 years and is a former trainee of Machitar, police said.
According to initial information from police, an officer saw the speeding vehicle and briefly gave chase before a supervisor canceled the pursuit. Machitar and Martinez were responding when the speeding vehicle crashed into the side of their patrol car.
The crash is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.