Fallen CHP officer's funeral to take place Saturday

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Candice Nguyen/KTVU) - California Highway Patrol confirmed a funeral is set for Saturday morning for Officer Andrew Camilleri who was killed in the line of duty on Christmas Eve by a suspected drunk driver. 

Media and the public are invited to attend the memorial service at Christian Life Center in Stockton at 8:30 a.m. 

A touching bell-ringing tribute for Camilleri was held in West Sacramento at CHP Patrol Academy on Wednesday. Family, including his widow and children sat in the front row. 

"This is a tragic event, not just for Officer Camilleri, but also for the State of California," said Warren Stanley, acting CHP commissioner. 

"It's a day where we shouldn't be here because this did not have to happen. Everyday we talk about, not just the CHP, but all law enforcement talk about driving safety, not driving impaired and getting the message. We just need more people to listen and take heed of it," Commissioner Stanley added. 

Officials have established a memorial fund to assist Officer Camillerii's family who died late Sunday night in Hayward when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle. Donations to the fund can be made online through the CHP Credit Union, available at https://cahpcu.org/donation-to-officer-camilleri/.

Donations can also be made by sending a check to P.O. Box 276507, Sacramento, CA 95827.

Checks can be made payable to "Officer Camilleri Memorial Fund." On Sunday at 11:32 p.m., Camilleri, 33 of Tracy, and another CHP officer were inside a patrol car that was parked on the right shoulder of southbound Interstate Highway 880 in Hayward near the Winton Avenue on-ramp.

As the officers patrolled the highway, a speeding red Cadillac hit the back of their patrol car. Both officers were hospitalized and Camilleri was later pronounced dead, according to CHP officials.

The 22-year-old Hayward man driving the red Cadillac is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. He was taken to a hospital in serious condition, CHP officials said. His name has not yet been released. 

Investigators say there's evidence he had left a party before the crash. "There is evidence, but we need to confirm that. That's why we're testing for that," said Commissioner Stanley. 

Camilleri is survived by his wife Rosanna, three children, 12, 6 and 2 years old, his parents, a brother and a sister.

He was only a member of the CHP for 16 months. 

Bay City News service contributed to this report