On Tuesday morning, a funeral procession is slated for Lauren Craven, a young La Mesa Police Department officer who was fatally struck by a car a week ago while she was assisting a motorist at the scene of a College-area freeway accident.
More than 700 law enforcement vehicles will be taking part in the procession to honor Craven, traveling from Mission Valley to Rancho San Diego.
PROCESSION ROUTE
The motorcade is scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m. at Snapdragon Stadium and will proceed to Interstate 15 north, up to state Route 52, then east over to southbound SR-125 and SR-94.
The transition from SB-125 to SR-94 east entails exiting to southbound Spring Street before making its final turn onto Campo Road in Rancho San Diego, where Skyline Church is located in the 11300 block.
🚨October 28, 2025🚨
Procession for La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven, will depart Snapdragon Stadium to I-15 NB, SR-52 EB, SR-125 SB, SR-94 EB to Campo Road EB, to Skyline Church at 11330 Campo Road.
Expect delays and plan alternate routes
🕣 duration 7:30AM to 9:30 AM pic.twitter.com/j7nmkwsAoQ
— California Highway Patrol San Diego (@CHP_San_Diego) October 27, 2025
Travelers on any of those roads are urged to take alternate routes since the entire freeways the procession will proceed upon will be closed to other motorists, creating traffic for hours.
SERVICES
Services at the church are expected to begin at 10 a.m., but, given the size of the procession, may start later. Officials are expected to stage ceremonial honors for Craven outside in front of the church following the memorial inside. After that, Craven will be moved back to El Camino Memorial on Carroll Canyon Road in Sorrento Valley for a private ceremony for family members.
A second, earlier procession for Craven was held on Thursday, when Craven’s body was brought from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office to El Camino Memorial.
Law enforcement officers, first responders and supporters lined the streets of San Diego Thursday for a procession for La Mesa police officer Lauren Craven, who was killed in a crash on I-8.
All city offices in La Mesa will be closed on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon to permit employees to attend the memorial services.
A nighttime candlelight vigil at police headquarters on University Avenue on Monday for Craven was held by LMPD and began at 6:30 p.m. Candles were lit for Craven, with speakers providing brief remarks before the vigil concluded with a moment of silence.
The flames flickering were described as a symbol of the light that the fallen officer brought to others. San Diego Regional Training Academy Officer Ricardo Pinon said her life is now used to inspire cadets.
“The life she lived is an inspiration for us all,” Pinon said. “We want each and every one of them to have her heart, to have her passion and have the love that she has for the community, and the service to the family, because we could respect the things she has done.”
People hold up candles to honor La Mesa police Officer Lauren Craven during a vigil at police headquarters on University Avenue on Oct. 27, 2025.
Abigail Hentschae, one of Craven’s best friends, recalled their talks in college about Craven’s desire to become a police officer.
“She expressed that she wanted to be there to help the victims of crimes, to be, you know, light on people’s worst day of their life,” said Hentschae, who’s now an EMT.
As one of her favorite songs, “Say Yes to Heaven” played, there were hugs, tears and heartache. But family, friends and colleagues say despite her death, her life, service and sacrifice will live on.
“She had all that talent, and we are so blessed to have known her, so blessed to have her, and we love it and miss her,” Pinon said.
Another vigil and fundraiser was held Friday in La Mesa at the Pink Rose Café on La Mesa Boulevard and was attended both by members of the police department as well as supporters.
“Just like the police department supports us, we want them to know that we support them, and 100 % of the proceeds today will be donated to the family,” cafe owner Nadia Zamora said on Friday.
“I think we really come together when times are tough, and this is just another example of that,” said Bonnie Hayman, a La Mesa resident who stopped by to offer her support.
The 25-year-old officer was killed when the driver of a Toyota Camry suspected of being under the influence crashed into her while she was rendering aid after a crash on Interstate 8 near Fairmont Avenue late Monday, reports NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada.
THE FATAL CRASH
Craven, 25, was killed late last Monday night when a Toyota Camry driven by a DUI suspect struck her and 19-year-old De’Veonte Morris of San Diego, who had gotten into a five-vehicle pileup that left his car overturned on eastbound Interstate 8 near Fairmount Avenue. Both Craven — a Bend, Oregon, native who celebrated her most recent birthday Oct. 7 — and Morris died at the scene of the crash.
The suspect, a 38-year-old La Mesa man who was driving the Camry, was taken to a hospital for treatment of moderately serious injuries and later arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, CHP public affairs Officer Michael Wessendorf said. The suspect’s name has not been released.
Several other people involved in the series of crashes also suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the highway patrol reported.
The La Mesa Police Department held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon after 25-year-old Officer Lauren Craven was killed while responding to another deadly crash on Interstate 8 east in Grantville overnight.
FAMILY MOURNS THEIR LOSS
Craven’s father said she had wanted to dedicate her life to being “that good cop” for anybody who needed her.
“Every day we would talk on her way home from work, which was 6 in the morning, or on the way to work,” David Craven said. “She loved it. She loved getting up to go to work. She was excited to get out there and serve.”
The grieving father said he was trying not to “focus on all the decades more that she should have had.”
“I’m trying to focus on the fact that everything in her life was thumbs up as she progressed through this journey,” Craven explained. “Personal relationships, everything. The way she viewed the world.
“She had a goal that [initially] seemed impossible. Not physically qualified — changed that. Became physically qualified in an environment that’s male-dominated, pushed right through it, became respected. All with a goal to help with compassion.”
Craven wants to make sure his daughter’s memory stays alive. He told NBC 7 how her plan to wear a badge evolved from her own personal trauma in Los Angeles. It was an incident, he said, that began with a spiked drink and ended with help from detectives and police.
“ ‘I want to be that person for other women and others — anybody in trouble that needs me,’ ” Craven remembered her saying. “She decided right then and there: ‘I’m going to become a police officer.’ “
Craven’s father also shared a story about how her perseverance got her through the police academy a second time when the first pass didn’t work out. He also talked about the praise she received from fellow officers when she assisted in a high-speed chase, still as a trainee. NBC 7 cameras were rolling that day in May 2025, during a breaking news incident.
“I hate that she’s not able to continue her career, but I’m focused on the fact that she got to her dream,” Craven said. “It was the start of it, and she was never happier.”
The La Mesa Police Officers’ Association is conducting a donation campaign with a goal of raising $75,000 to help support Craven’s family. As of Monday morning, the effort had garnered $49,751.
Lauren Craven’s father spoke about her unwavering determination to become a La Mesa police officer. NBC 7’s Dave Summers reports.
TRIBUTES FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT
Craven’s death in the line of duty prompted profuse expressions of sorrow and support from the agency she served, as well as from other area law enforcement officials and community leaders.
“On behalf of the entire La Mesa Police Department, I want to offer my deepest condolences to Lauren’s family and friends,” LMPD Chief Ray Sweeney said at a news conference last Tuesday afternoon. “We grieve with you, and we will stand with you in the days and years to come.”
Sweeney described Craven, a 2023 Loyola Marymount University graduate who joined the LMPD in February 2024 and was assigned to its patrol unit, as “a light.”
“Her positivity was immediate and genuine,” he said. “Whether helping a colleague, answering a stranger’s question or stepping up into a difficult case that she was working, she led with compassion, courage and professionalism.”
During Craven’s hiring process, Sweeney told reporters, she wrote, “It has always been my passion to serve others, and there has never been a doubt in my mind that being a law enforcement officer is what I was meant to do.”
“That’s who Lauren was, and that’s how she served and how she will be remembered,” the chief said. “She was tenacious and resilient.”
Other area law enforcement officials offered their condolences to the young officer’s loved ones and colleagues as well.
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of La Mesa Police Officer Lauren Craven, who tragically lost her life late Monday night while serving others,” the CHP said in a statement released last week. “The CHP Border Communications Center stands with her family, friends and fellow officers during this difficult time.”
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office likewise lamented the “heartbreaking loss” of the young officer.
“Officer Craven’s bravery and dedication to serving others exemplify the highest values of law enforcement.… Her courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the agency stated.
Gov. Gavin Newsom also expressed his and his wife’s sorrow over Craven’s death in the line of duty.
“Officer Craven served her community with pride and dedication,” Newsom said. “Jennifer and I are heartbroken by her loss and the significant impact her passing leaves on the larger San Diego community. We join her family, friends, and fellow officers in mourning. May her memory never be forgotten.”
The LMPD issued a statement thanking the public for its “unwavering support.”
“We ask that the La Mesa community keep Officer Craven, her family and the La Mesa Police Department in their thoughts and prayers,” the agency stated.
The last memorial services for a fallen police officer in San Diego County took place in September 2024, for SDPD officer Austin Machitar, who was killed in the line of duty in a fiery crash in Clairemont on Aug. 26. Craven was the first LMPD officer ever killed in the line of duty, according to La Mesa police.