Another day, another suspect fleeing police in California — but this time, viewers watched it all unravel live on CBS Los Angeles. What started as a routine car chase Monday night ended in tragic — and painfully awkward — fashion when the suspect was fatally struck by a car, right in front of the rolling cameras.
The now-deceased suspect had been behind the wheel of a stolen white van, leading LAPD on a pursuit that tore through downtown L.A., veered through Chinatown, and sped up the 110 Freeway before taking a detour off the road near Highland Park. That’s where the situation took a fatal turn — quite literally.
As the suspect attempted to flee on foot, he climbed over the center divider — only to run directly into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The live feed didn’t cut quickly enough, capturing the moment of impact and prompting a flurry of panicked reactions from the CBS anchor desk.
“Whoa, wow! Oh my god! Oh no! Oh no!” exclaimed co-anchor Juan Fernandez, clearly unprepared for the raw reality of crime coverage in a city that’s made police pursuits a near-weekly spectacle.
Assignment editor Mike Rogers jumped in: “Stay wide, stay wide, he got hit.” Not exactly Pulitzer-winning commentary, but live TV isn’t known for finesse in moments like these.
Back in the studio, Suzie Suh tried to maintain composure, saying: “OK, we’re going to keep our one shot. We just saw the person who was being pursued get out of their car and actually get hit by another speeding car. I mean, it was…” Her words trailed off as Fernandez sat beside her in open-mouthed shock.
Rogers returned shortly after to clarify, citing aerial footage from CBS journalist Desmond Shaw: “That was so intense and so wild. The person tried to run along the median and it just – it didn’t work and, sadly, I don’t think this is going to end very well.”
Law enforcement later confirmed the suspect was killed on impact. No other individuals were in the stolen van. Police promptly shut down both directions of the 110 Freeway, grinding traffic to a halt for several hours during peak time, as investigators combed over yet another tragic scene stemming from crime and recklessness.
#BREAKING Stolen Vehicle Pursuit Crash in Los Angeles.
A suspect who was evading police at high speeds has bailed out of the vehicle on the freeway and was hit by on coming traffic.
Aerial video by CBS LA shows the moment the suspect was hit. pic.twitter.com/MUSoK1IbL8
— Tony Perez (@Tony_MNNews) October 21, 2025
