A procession of police and fire vehicles has ended its slow trip from Mission Valley to an El Cajon church early Saturday for the memorial service for a San Diego police officer killed in the line of duty last month. San Diego police Officer Austin Machitar. (San Diego Police Department) Officer Austin Machitar, 30, died when a teen driver who was fleeing from other officers crashed into his patrol vehicle Aug. 26 in Clairemont. Officer Zach Martinez, 27, riding in the passenger seat, was critically injured. The procession left Snapdragon Stadium at 7:45 a.m. and headed east on Friars Road, south on Interstate 15 briefly, then east on Interstate 8 to Greenfield Drive in El Cajon. The line of vehicles traveled down the freeway slow lanes. Off-ramps were closed along the roughly 10-mile route. Fellow first responders from varying agencies stood on overpasses, saluting as the procession passed below. As it neared Shadow Mountain Community Church, the vehicles passed under a giant American flag hoisted by two fire trucks. Community members turned out to honor the officer, including Janny Anderson and her 12-year-old son Ryland, who watched as the line of cars neared the church. “We are respecting our officer. He serves our country and so we want to respect him,” Janny Andersen said. Another family with the same idea also made its way to a spot near the church. “Even though we didn’t know him personally to we can still come out, take your hat off and show your respect,” said Jessica Taylor. She was with her husband and their two children, ages 10 and 14. As people arrived for the services, they were greeted with a slideshow of photos of Machitar, and image of his bade, wrapped in black. At the front of the church, two officers stood guard next to a flag-draped coffin. The motorcade and hearse carrying Officer Austin Machitar’s casket arrives at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon on Saturday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Machitar’s memorial service starts at 10 a.m. It is open to the public. A livestream of the service will be available starting at 9:30 a.m. at memorial.shadowmountain.org. Speakers will include San Diego police Chief Scott Wahl and Mayor Todd Gloria. Machitar’s sister is also slated to speak. There will be a private interment and reception following the memorial service. Machitar, who grew up in the Chula Vista area, was the son of a retired San Diego County deputy sheriff. He was a 2012 graduate of Otay Ranch High School, where he played varsity baseball. Staff writer Caleb Lunetta contributed to this report.