Memorial services for San Diego Police officer Austin Machitar, who died on Aug. 26 after a fiery crash in Clairemont, will be held Saturday.
The memorial service is slated to take place Saturday morning at an El Cajon church following a law enforcement procession from Mission Valley.
The procession is set to start at 7:45 a.m. at Snapdragon Stadium which will go on southbound Interstate 15 to eastbound Interstate 8 and exit Greenfield Drive to end up at Shadow Mountain Church.
The community may view the procession.
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Commuters should expect a delay on eastbound I-8 between 7:15 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Traffic will be stopped and no vehicles will be allowed to enter or pass the procession. All lanes will reopen as the procession moves east.
The procession will close the following ramps:
- Eastbound I-8 at Interstate 15 (I-15)
- Southbound I-15 to eastbound/westbound I-8
- Northbound I-15 to eastbound I-8
- Eastbound I-8 off-ramp to Mission Gorge Road/Fairmount Avenue
- Southbound State Route 125 (SR-125) to eastbound I-8
- Northbound SR-125 to eastbound I-8
- Southbound State Route 67 to eastbound I-8
Investigators say the 30-year-old officer who worked in the Northern Division precinct was responding to a high-speed chase when a BMW going around 90 miles per hour slammed into his police SUV.
Local
"Austin had a very infectious smile and a character that made him one of a kind,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said during a news conference at Sharp Memorial Hospital on Tuesday evening.
Machitar's smile and personality are on display in recruitment videos and pictures for the city's police and fire departments.
Police say Machitar was a five-and-a-half-year veteran of the force who had a passion for training others. In fact, he trained his partner, 27-year-old Officer Zachary Martinez, who has since been released from the hospital.
The fatal crash
Killed in the crash on Aug. 26 were Austin Machitar and a teenage driver who was behind the wheel of the gray BMW that slammed into the SUV in which the officers were driving after allegedly fleeing an attempted traffic stop.
Zach Martinez's father told NBC 7 that his son is a hero and dedicated his life to serving. Zach Martinez has helped to protect San Diego for the past year and a half.
"He was born and raised to serve," San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said during a news conference last week. "He's an EMT. His heart is into helping people."
Zach Martinez's road to the police force began in 2014. In high school, he joined the Lubbock Police Department Explorer Program in Texas.
Officer Brinnen Kent, Zach Martinez's former instructor, described the officer as a smart competitor who helped the explorers win leadership and other awards.
Because Zach Martinez couldn't join the San Diego Police Department until he was 21, he joined the Navy's military police at 18, according to Kent.
Kent said the week before the crash when they spoke, Zach Martinez talked about how excited he was to be serving in San Diego.
Police say Machitar was a five-and-a-half-year veteran of the force who had a passion for training others. In fact, he trained Zach Martinez.
The San Diego Medical Examiner's Office identified the teen driver as Edgar Giovanny Oviedo. 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.
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.
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.
