San Diego Sheriff Feels Horrible after Cruiser Hits and Kills Pedestrian
An unsuspecting pedestrian was hit and killed while jaywalking by a San Diego Sheriff on pursuit of a suspect DUI driver in San Marcos on Tuesday. Accounts about the incident across various news media sites attest that the officer that was driving the cruiser feels horrible and regretful about the incident that occurred because it was not supposed to happen.
At about 1:30 a.m., Deputy Frank Stalzer began to accelerate the cruiser when he witnessed a suspicious vehicle that exhibited those driving patterns, which suggested that there was an intoxicated driver behind the wheel. As he sped towards the vehicle on West San Marcos Boulevard to gain on the suspect, the persecution ended with an abrupt thud. Stalzer had allegedly hit a pedestrian.
Jose Malacara who reports suggest may have been a worker at one of the nearby Old California Row restaurants was the pedestrian that was hit by the cruiser. He had stepped off the median and was hit. His whole body was tossed against the ground and he was never able to cross the street.
Cody Panzera, Malacara’s friend was grief stricken and found irony in the situation. He said that one of the victims’ biggest fears was getting hit by a car. They had known each other since middle school. “It’s insane to me that that’s how it happened.”
Various reports indicate that the victim was a cook at Penny Lane Pub and Grill and had gotten off work prior to the accident.
Standard to all accidents, Stalzer was questioned about the accident after the crash at a nearby San Marcos station. Apparently, the patrol car’s lights and siren had not been activated prior to the crash according to a department spokesperson.
Stalzer is a veteran of the department and is assigned to work as a traffic enforcement officer. Jan Caldwell, spokesperson for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, said the deputy felt horrible that while trying to catch what he thought was a DUI driver but instead it cost the life of another person at his hands. The outcome of the accident has been “very hard for him. It goes against everything they’ve trained to do,” Caldwell said.
Stalzer is in a condition of shock and will have to take a couple days off to calm down, according to Caldwell. There won’t be any other punishment because at this time looks like a “horrible, horrible accident,” she said.
The accident is under investigation. A sign in the door of the Penny Lane Pub and Grill said it was closed today due to the death a family member.
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