The fatal collision happened early June 17 on Linda Vista Road near student housing.
SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego police said a University of San Diego student died by suicide after he was struck by a marked patrol vehicle early June 17 on Linda Vista Road near the school’s Linda Vista campus.
The student was identified by police and the county Medical Examiner’s Office as Justin Cann, 21, of Aurora, Colorado. Police first said the circumstances were unclear after the collision, then said Thursday that evidence and witness statements showed Cann intentionally stepped into the path of the police vehicle.
The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. in the 5800 block of Linda Vista Road near Goshen Street, an area close to campus housing. San Diego police Lt. Cesar Jimenez said the officer was driving westbound in a marked patrol vehicle when the officer felt an impact. The officer stopped, turned the vehicle around and found Cann lying in the roadway. Jimenez initially said investigators did not know why Cann had entered the street. “It is unclear, at this time, why the person entered the roadway,” Jimenez said in the department’s first public account of the case.
The officer and other responding officers gave first aid before San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel arrived, police said. Cann was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead about 3:35 a.m. The officer was not injured. Police did not release the officer’s name. The patrol vehicle was towed from the scene about 6:30 a.m., and Linda Vista Road later reopened after a traffic closure tied to the investigation. The department’s Traffic Unit and Collision Investigations Bureau handled the crash review. Police said the case remained sensitive and that no further details about the evidence supporting the suicide finding would be released at this stage.
The University of San Diego confirmed that Cann was a student and said it was cooperating with investigators. “The University of San Diego campus community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of one of our students who was struck early this morning by a vehicle near the campus,” the university said. School officials said the student’s name was not being shared at first out of respect for the family. The university also said its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies were with the student’s family, friends and classmates. USD said counseling services were available to students and employees after the death.
The crash drew attention to a busy stretch of Linda Vista Road where students live and cross near campus. One student who lives nearby told NBC 7 that students often cross in that area because marked crosswalks are not close to some housing routes. The student said the road can feel risky, especially at night, and said he hoped the death would lead to more crosswalks and speed limit signs. Police have not said that roadway design caused the collision. They have said the death is believed to be a suicide based on the evidence collected and witness statements obtained during the investigation.
The death also changed the public timeline of the case within about a day. On June 17, police described a fatal collision involving a patrol vehicle and said investigators were still working to determine why the student entered the roadway. On June 18, police said the investigation had determined that Cann intentionally stepped into the vehicle’s path. “Based on the evidence collected and witness statements obtained during the investigation, the death is believed to be a suicide,” Jimenez said. The department did not publicly describe the witness statements, recordings or other materials reviewed before making that finding.
No charges were announced in connection with the crash. Police said the officer was driving a marked vehicle and was not hurt. The department did not say whether the officer was responding to a call, how fast the vehicle was traveling, or whether patrol car video, body-worn camera footage or other recordings captured the moments before impact. Investigators continued to ask anyone with information to contact the San Diego Police Department’s Traffic Division. The case remained with traffic investigators and collision specialists, with the Medical Examiner’s Office also involved after Cann’s death at the hospital.
By Thursday evening, police had shifted from an open traffic investigation with unclear circumstances to a stated finding of suicide. USD continued to mourn the death and cooperate with authorities. The next public update depends on any additional release from police, the Medical Examiner’s Office or the university.
Author note: Last updated June 19, 2026.