It’s been three days since a fiery crash claimed the life of a San Diego police officer and severely injured his partner. The teenage driver who caused the crash also died. NBC 7’s Shelby Bremer shares the details she learned about that 16-year-old, identified as Edgar Giovanny Oviedo.
County officials on Wednesday identified the driver who died after Monday night's multi-vehicle crash in Clairemont that also killed a San Diego police officer and left another officer injured.
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.
San Diego resident Edgar Giovanny Oviedo, 16, was driving a BMW sedan eastbound on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard when he crashed into a San Diego Police Department patrol SUV going northbound, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office said based on preliminary information.
First responders attempted lifesaving measures while taking the teenager to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the medical examiner's office.
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The incident began when police attempted to stop the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed along Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, but the driver failed to yield. A supervisor then called off the pursuit due to that speed, San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl said.
Then, two officers in a police car "responded to that fleeing suspect," Wahl said. That is when the car collided at a high rate of speed into the side of the patrol vehicle.
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"One of the officers was critically injured, and the driver of the police vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene," Wahl said.
Those officers were identified by the department's chief on Tuesday evening.
Officer Austin Machitar, 30, who was hired by the department in March of 2019, died at the scene, Wahl said.
Machitar's partner that night, 27-year-old Officer Zachary Martinez, was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital with severe injuries and remains in critical condition, according to the police chief. Martinez has been with the department since March 2023 and is a Navy reservist, Wahl added.
About 75 yards east of the shrine for the officers involved, flowers and several candles were burning Wednesday night for Oviedo. Family members say the teen was on his way to pick up food when the police chase started.
The fire ball rose high in the air. Security video shows the car Oviedo was driving on fire and spinning out of control eastbound.
"He was just really nice and sweet," Angelina Diaz, Oviedo's cousin, told NBC 7 Wednesday night.
Diaz and other family members wept at the scene where the incident took place. They lit candles and formed a prayer circle.
"He really looked out for everyone," Diaz said. "He did not deserve this."
The sight of the crash has had many visitors since Monday night. Patrick Bunch is one of them.
"He made a bad decision that affected more than just his life. It affected two other police officers' lives and their families. It's just tragic all around. I feel sympathy for his family, too," Bunch said.
The identity and information about the teen behind the wheel of the sedan were not included in earlier police news conferences. Even Oviedo's family members shied away from coming forward, fearing he was being blamed before the cause of the collision was determined.
"That this whole thing had been caused by him. I just hope that people can really see he was a good boy," Diaz said.
According to Oviedo's family and the former owner's son, the BMW was a recent purchase. It wasn't the teen's car but his father's.
Video shot after the wreck shows more than a dozen police vehicles in the area and at least four vehicles with severe damage from the fiery crash. While two other civilian vehicles were involved, according to SDPD, no other injuries to civilians were reported.
It was estimated that at least 20 deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) responded to the radio call for help from SDPD, said SDSO Lt. Daniel Wilson.
Due to the enormity of the situation, Wahl said SDPD requested the California Highway Patrol to come in and conduct an independent investigation into the accident for a full reconstruction of exactly what happened. The investigation is ongoing.
Several other agencies from around the county also responded to the call for help, including officers from the CHP and the Escondido Police Department, according to each respective agency.
The offramps from southbound and northbound I-805 to Clairemont Mesa Boulevard were closed to all traffic for more than 12 hours.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring fallen law enforcement officers, at least 36 San Diego police officers have, since 1913, died in the line of duty, plus one K9 officer. While the majority of them were shot, 11 were killed in incidents involving a car or motorcycle. The last officer killed in the line of duty was Officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman in 2016.
The San Diego Police Officers Association has started a donation campaign to benefit the families of the involved officers, with a goal of $250,000 to aid with funeral and medical costs.
Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
