A tragic event unfolded in San Diego, as a speeding vehicle collided with a patrol car, resulting in the death of one police officer and critical injuries to another. The incident took place late Monday night when officers noticed a car speeding on a boulevard. Upon attempting to conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle refused to pull over, leading to a brief pursuit, according to Chief Scott Wahl.
Due to the high speed of the chase, a supervisor decided to call off the pursuit. However, as two officers in one vehicle were responding to assist, the fleeing suspect’s vehicle crashed into the side of their patrol car at a high rate of speed. The officer driving the police car succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the other officer was rushed to the intensive care unit, where he is currently in critical condition.
The identities of the officers and the speeding driver involved in the crash have not been disclosed to the public. Although a few other vehicles were caught up in the collision, the drivers of those vehicles sustained minor injuries, as per Chief Wahl. The California Highway Patrol has been enlisted to conduct an independent investigation to provide a comprehensive reconstruction of the events leading up to the crash.
At this challenging time, Chief Wahl acknowledged that there will be a wealth of information forthcoming and numerous unanswered questions. The incident comes in the wake of recent recommendations from a city oversight commission that emphasized implementing policy changes for San Diego police pursuits, suggesting that pursuits should primarily be limited to cases involving violent crimes.
