Live TV footage of a California police chase ended in horror as a fleeing suspect was mowed down and killed by a passing car before the cameras could cut away.
A chopper for CBS Los Angeles was filming police chasing a suspected thief in a stolen white van through Chinatown on Monday when the driver headed onto the 110 Freeway, coming to a near stop.
The driver then climbed out the van’s window as it was still moving slowly forward, then immediately tried to climb over the median.
However, he stumbled — and immediately got mowed down by a passing car as he got to his feet and moved forward, with the camera panning back quickly showing other cars also unable to stop.
“Oh my God! Oh no, oh no, ” a horrified anchor gasped, as someone else orders the cameraman to keep the shot “wide” as “he got hit.”
When the live feed cut to the studio, the hosts were seen with their jaws wide open at having just seen — and showed — a man’s death.
The man was struck by two cars, according to KTLA.
Police attempted life-saving measures as they awaited the arrival of paramedics with the LA Fire Department, according to footage from KTLA.
But by the time EMS arrived, the suspect’s body had already been covered with a white sheet in the middle of the freeway.
There were no other people in the van, though animal control was called to the scene to retrieve a dog from inside. It’s not clear if the animal was hurt.
Traffic was closed both ways for six hours as investigators processed the scene.