A routine pursuit by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) ended in tragedy as a fleeing suspect in a stolen van was struck and killed live on television.
According to official reports and live helicopter footage from CBS Los Angeles, the chase began shortly after 8:30 p.m. when officers attempted to stop a white van reported stolen.
The driver refused to yield and headed onto the busy northbound lanes of the 110 Freeway near the Avenue 43 exit in the Mount Washington/Chinatown area.
As the van slowed dramatically, the suspect climbed out of the driver’s side window while the vehicle was still moving.
He tumbled onto the freeway’s center median, then stumbled into the southbound lanes, at which point he was struck head-on by passing traffic, then hit again by additional vehicles.
The entire sequence was captured live by a network helicopter and broadcast to horrified viewers.
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“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.
WATCH:
SHOCK VIDEO: Stolen vehicle suspect fatally struck after jumping out of moving van on L.A. freeway pic.twitter.com/TMK2PPNWUL
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 21, 2025