By Gina Yarbrough
San Diego, CA–A tragic accident late Monday night left one San Diego police officer dead and another fighting for his life after a high-speed pursuit ended in a fatal crash in the 5200 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.
The San Diego Police Department revealed the identities of the two patrol officers at a press conference on Tuesday.
Officer Austin Machitar, 30, a San Diego native, lost his life in the fiery crash. He was a five-year veteran at the department. He is survived by his parents and sister who are residents in San Diego County.
His partner, Officer Zachary Martinez, 27, is in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit at a local hospital. He has been with the San Diego Police Department for a year and a half. Martinez is a Navy reservist originally from Texas.
“Austin is the kind of guy you want on your team. He was athletic. He was a competitor. He had a passion for training. He was one of our field training officers. In fact, his partner last night was his trainee back in 2023,” San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl said at the news conference.
Chief Wahl described Martinez as a “kid from Texas that came to San Diego in the Navy.”
“He fell in love with this city. He was born and raised to serve. As an EMT, his heart is into helping people,” Chief Wahl added.
Wahl said he was optimistic that Martinez will recover from his injuries, but will face a long road to recovery.
According to the San Diego Police Department, the deadly chain of events began just before 11:30 p.m. when an officer attempted to stop a speeding BMW on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. When the driver refused to pull over, a supervisor called off the pursuit due to the high speed. However, two responding officers, Machitar and Martinez, collided with the suspect’s vehicle. The impact caused the police vehicle to burst into flames, resulting in the death of Officer Machitar and leaving Officer Martinez critically injured.
The driver involved in the crash was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other vehicles were also involved in the crash, but both drivers emerged unharmed.
Chief Wahl said that the California Highway Patrol has been requested to investigate the crash independently.
In the wake of this tragedy, the San Diego Police Officers Association has established a fund to assist the officers’ families. Donations to the SDPOA Foundation will be directed to the family of Officer Machitar and to support Officer Martinez’s recovery.
For more information on how to contribute, visit the SDPOA’s official website.
