A San Diego police officer was killed and a second was seriously injured Monday night when their vehicle was involved in a crash while responding to a high-speed chase that also killed the other driver, authorities said.
Police tried to pull over a speeding driver on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in San Diego on Monday, but the driver refused to stop and led police on a short chase before they called off the chase due to the high speed.
The suspect drove off and crashed into a police vehicle that had responded to the incident shortly after 11:30 p.m., igniting the police cruiser in flames. The officer driving the police cruiser died at the scene and a second officer inside was taken to the hospital where they are being treated in intensive care, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said during a news conference Tuesday morning. The names of the police officers involved in the wreck have not been released.
The driver of the car that fled from police was also killed in the collision, Wahl said.
“I can’t put into words the emotions that come at a time like this, when we have police officers who come to work to make a difference to help those in need and they put their lives on the line for people they don’t even know,” said Wahl. “And last night we lost a good one.”
The California Highway Patrol will lead the investigation into the crash.