San Diego police officer and driver of car that triggered pursuit die in crash

A San Diego police officer and the driver of another vehicle died when the driver crashed into the officer’s car following a chase Monday night, police said.

A second officer who was in the same police vehicle as the other officer was hurt and “fighting for his life” after they were stuck by the speeding car, Police Chief Scott Wahl said at a Tuesday morning news conference.

The deadly wreck occurred after a police officer saw a vehicle “traveling at a high rate of speed” on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and tried to perform a traffic stop, Wahl said.

The driver did not stop and sped away, leading to a brief pursuit before a supervisor called off the chase because of the dangerous speeds involved, Wahl said.

“Two officers working together in one vehicle were responding to that fleeing suspect,” Wahl told reporters Tuesday. “And ultimately the suspect vehicle collided at a high rate of speed into the side of their vehicle.”

The officers and the suspect were not identified at Tuesday’s news conference. Police said their names were withheld pending family notifications.

Wahl said that due to the emotions involved following the death and critical injury of the officers, the California Highway Patrol is being asked to conduct an independent investigation.

That will include “a full reconstruction of exactly what happened,” he said.

The officer who was hurt was in the intensive care unit at a hospital Tuesday, Wahl said.

The fiery crash occurred at around 11:30 p.m. Monday, NBC San Diego reported. Video from the station showed a silver sedan with a destroyed and mangled front end.

Two other vehicles were also involved in the crash, but both of those drivers were OK and suffered no significant injuries, police said.

“I can’t put into words the feelings that come at a time like this,” Wahl said. “When we have police officers that are coming to work to make a difference, to help those in need, and they’re putting their lives on the line for people that they don’t even know — and last night we lost a good one.”