SAN DIEGO — A La Mesa Police Department officer died after being struck by a car while responding to another crash, CBS 8 reported.
The Oct. 20 incident began when a vehicle traveling eastbound on I-8 lost control, overturned and came to rest in the freeway lanes, according to the report. The disabled vehicle was then struck by another car.
La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven, 25, encountered the crash while returning to the city from the San Diego Central Jail. According to police, she stopped to assist with the accident and began taking a report when she was struck by a separate oncoming vehicle.
Craven and the driver involved in the initial rollover were both pronounced dead at the scene, according to CHP Captain Reggie Williams.
Craven had been with the La Mesa Police Department since February 2024 and was assigned to the Patrol Division. In a statement, the department expressed its gratitude for the support of regional law enforcement and asked the community to keep Craven’s family and colleagues in their thoughts.
The California Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. No further details have been released about the other drivers involved.
