Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Saul Martinez succumbed to injuries he received when he was struck by a vehicle in the early morning hours of May 8, 1997, in Desert Hot Springs. Officer Martinez and his partner were walking back to their cruiser after stopping for a vehicle on Dillon Road when a speeding car, which was driving on the shoulder, struck him. Just before the vehicle hit him, he pushed his partner out of the way, saving his life. The misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter trial of the driver ended in a mistrial in 2000. In a final act of service, Officer Martinez donated his organs. Officer Martinez had served with the California Highway Patrol for eight years. A few hours after he was hit by the vehicle, he was named the Latino Peace Officer of the Year Award for San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. He is survived by his wife and three children. Officer Martinez was posthumously awarded the Califonia Medal of Valor. The Saul Martinez Elementary School was named in his honor.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-04F8A159- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Martinez gave the California Highway Patrol 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Martinez.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Saul Martinez is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At California Highway Patrol, 151 of 233 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 64.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Saul Martinez's cause is highlighted.
How Saul Martinez Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Saul Martinez is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
232 officers from California Highway Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
