SAN DIEGO, CA – A San Diego police officer has died and another is injured following a high-speed pursuit that ended in a fiery crash late last night. The incident occurred on the 5200 block of Claremont Mesa Boulevard just after 11:30 p.m., leaving the community and the police department in mourning.
The tragic event unfolded when the officers were involved in a pursuit that led to their cruiser crashing and subsequently catching fire. Emergency responders arrived swiftly, but despite their efforts, one officer was pronounced dead at the scene. The second officer was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where their condition remains unknown.
The crash site, located near Pleasant Inn on Claremont Mesa Boulevard, was cordoned off with over a dozen police cruisers and officers blocking the streets. The area is expected to remain closed for several hours as investigators work to piece together the events leading up to the crash.
Video footage from the scene shows the police cruiser engulfed in flames as firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze. The pursuit and subsequent crash have left many questions unanswered, including the identity and status of the suspect involved.
The driver of the car that crashed into the police was a BMW driven by a 16-year-old driver.
Traffic in the area was heavily impacted, with off-ramps from both southbound and northbound 805 to Claremont Mesa Boulevard closed to all traffic.