Pedestrian Struck and Killed by Police Cruiser

A man was killed after being struck by a patrol car from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department early Tuesday morning near Restaurant Row in San Marcos.

According to accident reports, the crash took place in the 1000 block of West San Marcos Boulevard at around 1:30 a.m. where the sheriff’s deputy was making a turn to head westbound in pursuit of a vehicle suspected of driving under the influence.

Public information officer for the sheriff’s department, Jan Caldwell, said that a pedestrian was meanwhile attempting to make his way across the street outside the legal crosswalk by climbing over a median through some large bushes, coming out on to road directly in front of the accelerating patrol car.

“The deputy thought he saw a car driving under the influence, he came around the corner and started to follow that car and as he accelerated, someone, this man, had crossed the street and… stepped right in front of his car, didn’t hear the acceleration and stepped in front of his car,” Caldwell said.

Both the deputy and emergency responders attempted to revive the man but were ultimately unsuccessful, as he was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has yet to be released, as the county coroner’s officer is working to notify his next of kin.

The deputy himself suffered relatively minor injuries and was treated at the scene. He was then taken to a police substation to be interviewed. Caldwell also reported that the officer was very upset about the accident.

Police investigators shut down a segment of West San Marcos Boulevard between Via Vera Cruz and South Las Posas Road to comb the scene for any more information about the accident. The road was eventually reopened at 8 a.m., more than six hours after the collision took place.

Crosswalks are put in place to keep pedestrians safe. Attempting to make your way across any street outside of a marked crosswalk exposes you to real danger and puts drivers into unavoidable situations where collisions like this can happen.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a situation like this, help is available to you. With the assistance of a San Diego accident attorney, you can recover compensation from those who are at fault in your accident to help pay off any outstanding medical bills, car repair payments, or replace lost wages from any time spent away from work.

We at AA Accident Attorneys are experienced legal professionals who understand the dangers you face on California’s overcrowded roads, and can get you the full amount that you are rightfully owed. As always, we will not charge you a thing for our services until your case has been won. Call our accident attorneys today for a free evaluation and to learn how we can help you!