Austin Machitar, a 30-year-old police officer of the San Diego Police Department, recently passed away on August 27, 2024, in a collision while responding to a vehicle pursuit, leaving his family and loved ones shattered.
The San Diego Police Department announced Austin Machitar’s demise in an Instagram post on August 28, 2024. The post included a picture of Austin with a heartfelt caption: “Words cannot convey the loss we all feel in this moment. Please keep their families and friends in your prayers.“
According to the San Diego Police Department, Officer Austin Machitar and his partner, Officer Zachary Martinez, were involved in a collision last night around 11:30 pm while responding to a vehicle pursuit in Doliva and Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that the San Diego Police Department announces the tragic loss of Officer Austin Machitar #7989. Officer Machitar and his partner, Officer Zachary Martinez #1901, were involved in a collision last night while responding to a vehicle pursuit. pic.twitter.com/1Do3TOxmTd
— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) August 28, 2024
Furthermore, Officer Machitar’s demise was pronounced at the crash site. In contrast, Officer Martinez suffered several injuries due to the collision and is in critical but stable condition and is currently in Sharp Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
In response to the news of his demise, many people shared their heartfelt condolences to Austin Machitar’s family and loved ones.
Regarding his personal life, Austin is also believed to have been married and had four children. However, no public information is available about his wife or children.
Likewise, on March 12, 2012, Austin Machitar shared an update about his relationship with Ashleigh Padilla on his Facebook account, but it is unclear if Ashleigh is his wife.
Officer Austin Machitar was a native of Chula Vista, San Diego!
Austin Machitar was born and raised in Chula Vista, San Diego. He joined the San Diego Police Department in March of 2019.
Likewise, he was a five-and-a-half-year department veteran assigned to the SDPD’s Northern Division. Austin was also the face of many San Diego Police recruitment materials and flyers showcasing his welcoming smile in photos and fun personality in videos.
The @SanDiegoPD identified the officer who died following a pursuit in Clairemont as Officer Austin Machitar, 30, a five-and-a-half year veteran of the department, and a father of four kids. Machitar’s patrol partner, Zachary Martinez, was critically injured in the collision. pic.twitter.com/nAOgjbR6Yt
— Malik Earnest (@MalikEarnest) August 28, 2024
His tragic demise has saddened thousands of people; where people are talking about his heroism and how he gave up his life for his city’s safety.
Similarly, many of his friends say that Austin was very caring and always loved being a police officer.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl stated, “Austin was the kind of guy you want on your team. He was athletic, he was a competitor, he had a passion for training, and he was one of our field training officers.“
Additional Information
- Austin Machitar attended Otay Ranch High School and graduated from the University of Hawaii.
- The San Diego Police Department has organized a fundraising campaign with a goal of $250,000 to assist Austin’s family and his partner, Officer Martinez, who is at the hospital.
- Austin’s mother is Leslie Redondo Machitar, and he also has a sister named Asia.
