San Diego police identify the officer killed in a collision with a speeding vehicle

SAN DIEGO — A San Diego police officer was killed when a fleeing vehicle crashed into his patrol car had been employed by the department since 2019, authorities said.

Officer Austin Machitar, 30, died in the crash late Monday night and his partner that night, Officer Zach Martinez, 27, was seriously injured, the department said.

The driver of the speeding car was also killed. No information about the driver has been released.

According to the department, Machitar was assigned to patrols, served as a field training officer and actively participated in video and photo shoots designed to recruit new officers.

“His distinguished service to our city makes him a hero,” Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement.

Martinez was in critical but stable condition at a hospital, according to a police statement Tuesday night. There was no update Wednesday morning. Martinez has been with the department for 1 1/2 years and is a former intern of Machitar, police said.

According to initial information from police, an officer spotted the speeding vehicle and briefly pursued it before a supervisor called off the chase. Machitar and Martinez were responding when the speeding vehicle struck the side of their patrol car.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.