A motorcyclist fleeing from police officers died in a head-on collision with car as a news chopper from KCBS-TV was broadcasting live footage of the suspect’s wild 130mph flight from a traffic stop.
Gatekeepers News reports that the incident happened on Thursday afternoon in West Hills, a neighborhood in the western San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California.
The motorcycle had been reported stolen, according to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and its operatives were ‘tracking’ it after the rider fled from a stop. Officers were, however, not involved in a pursuit.
“Oh my gosh,” a news anchor said, clasping her hands to her mouth as the rider collided head-on with a car. “We have just seen – sorry, we just saw that motorcycle crash into a car there at the intersection.”
Reacting, LAPD Captain Andy Neiman told the CBS affiliate: “It’s a very sad day here. Just another example of how reckless driving – regardless of who it is – causes death.”
Neiman maintained that officers were not pursuing the motorcycle at the time of the crash.
“There were some statements made that we were in pursuit of this motorcycle. I just want to make it very clear, at no time were we in pursuit,” said Neiman.
According to Nieman, there was something unusual about the rider or motorcycle, which made undercover officers suspicious, and when they ran the bike’s plates the vehicle came back as stolen.
He explained that when the officers tried to pull the motorcycle over in a parking lot, the rider fled at speeds of more than 100mph.
KCBS footage confirmed that the motorcycle approached 130mph in the moments leading up to the crash.
