OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:41 PM – Tuesday, August 27, 2024
According to a local San Diego police chief on Tuesday, a speeding car struck their department’s patrol car, killing one police officer and seriously injuring another. The driver who was speeding was also killed.
After officers saw a car swerving and speeding on a boulevard late on Monday, the fiery crash and severe damage was only inevitable.
Police Chief Scott Wahl told reporters that early evidence had led him to believe that a brief pursuit began after the car failed to yield during a traffic stop attempt by the officer.
“Due to a high rate of speed, a supervisor terminated that pursuit,” Wahl said. “Two officers working together in one vehicle were responding to that fleeing suspect, and ultimately the suspect vehicle collided at a high rate of speed into the side of their vehicle.”
The other officer was taken to the hospital and placed in critical care, where the chief asserted that he was “fighting for his life.” the police car’s driver passed away at the scene.
The identifies of the slain officer and speeding driver were not announced to the public.
According to SDSO Lieutenant Daniel Wilson, at least twenty deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDPD) were dispatched in response to the radio call for assistance from the SDPD.
The chief also went on to say there were a few other cars involved in the collision, but fortunately, the other drivers involved are not facing any serious injuries.
“The crash that involved at least four vehicles was reported at around 11:30 p.m. near the intersection of Doliva Drive and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, just west of Interstate 805,” NBC 7 – San Diego reported.
Wahl added that the California Highway Patrol has now been requested to conduct an independent investigation and to provide a detailed account of the events that transpired.
“There’s a lot of information that’s going to be coming forward, and there’s a lot of questions that we all have,” he stated.
This month, the San Diego Union-Tribune revealed that a certain city oversight group had suggested twelve separate policy changes, including limiting pursuits to those involving violent offenses. The commission had examined data from over one thousand San Diego police encounters.
Check back for updates. This is a developing story.
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