LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — Local TV news reporter Gene Kang was reporting on a deadly hit-and-run collision in South Los Angeles when he was interrupted by a car crash Thursday afternoon.
Kang, who works for Nexstar’s KTLA, was in the area of Hoover and 84th streets talking about how the location has been the site of many incidents lately, with double the number of traffic collisions occurring in the area since the onset of the pandemic.
Behind him, two sedans slammed into each other, and one appeared to speed away. It’s 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 news crew then called 911 to report the crash. Officers at the scene told the reporter that they suspect that the driver of the vehicle that drove off was involved in a previous crime and was getting away.
Officers took a license plate that fell off during the collision.
No one from the vehicle that stopped appeared injured. KTLA reached out to LAPD Friday for information on the collision.
Kang was at the scene reporting on a hit-and-run collision that killed a 42-year-old father as he was crossing the same street with his family around 7:15 p.m. Feb. 26.
Authorities said the family was guided to cross the street by a crossing guard who was in a bright yellow vest and carrying a stop sign. There were also bright yellow lights flashing.
An “impatient” driver then went onto opposing lanes to skip past cars that were stopped for them, police said. As the car came barreling towards the family, the father got his wife and 2-year-old son out of the way before he was struck by the vehicle. He later died at a hospital.
That driver still hasn’t been found. A reward of up to $50,000 is available to community members who provide information leading to the driver’s identification, arrest and conviction.