Reporting a hit-and-run incident while a new one happens at the back — all live, on-air on TV.
KTLA anchor Gene Kang was reporting on a deadly hit-and-run collision in South Los Angeles when he was interrupted by a car collision that seemed to be a similar traffic mishap.
Kang was talking about how the area of Hoover and 84th streets has been the site of various incidents recently, with double the total cases of road collisions since the start of the pandemic. While reporting, two sedans behind him crashed into each other and one appeared to speed away. It is still unknown if the driver later stopped.
“Our security guard Walter Mann yelled ‘get back’ and we moved as the car came racing towards us. It veered away at the last second and T-boned the car,” Kang said.
The crash was reported to 911 by the news crew. Officers suspect that the driver of the sedan that drove off was involved in a previous crime and was escaping authorities. Officers took a license plate that fell off and no one was injured.
Kang was at the scene reporting a hit-and-run on February 26, 2022, around 7:15 pm when a 42-year-old father was killed as he was crossing the same street with his family. His family was guided by a crossing guard wearing a bright yellow vest and carrying a stop sign — despite this, an “impatient” driver went onto opposing lanes to skip past cars that were stopped for them. The car slammed into the father who got his wife and 2-year-old son out of the way before he was hit by the vehicle. He later died at a hospital. A $50,000 reward will be given to community members who can provide information leading to the driver’s identification, arrest, and conviction.
Video and image credit: KTLA