Officer Stephen Michael Linen, Jr.

Stephen Michael Linen, Jr.

Officer Stephen Linen was killed when he was struck by a drunk driver at approximately 6:00 am while making a traffic stop on I-5, north of Leucadia Boulevard, in Encinitas.

He was standing on the shoulder next to his patrol car when another vehicle struck it at a high rate of speed. The impact pushed the patrol car into the roadway and the offender vehicle then struck Officer Linen, throwing him approximately 20 feet onto an embankment.

He was flown to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 20-year-old driver, who was returning from an evening in Mexico, was arrested and charged with DUI. He was convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years.

Officer Linen had served with the California Highway Patrol for seven years. He is survived by his parents and brother.