Paparazzi have had nasty run-ins with pop star Justin Bieber, including a high-speed chase in July that prompted a city councilman to predict that such an encounter could end tragically.
It happened Tuesday.

A photographer who thought he spied Bieber sitting in his parked white Ferrari was struck and killed by oncoming traffic as he walked across a Los Angeles street to get back to his car after snapping photos.

An opportune picture of the 18-year-old celebrity can rake in hard currency, but Bieber was not in the car at the time of the New Year's Day incident.

California Highway Patrol officers had pulled over Bieber's vehicle Tuesday evening near an off-ramp of Interstate 405.

The photographer, 29, spotted the sports car stopped on Sepulveda Boulevard, parked his own vehicle across the street, crossed to get closer to Bieber's car and took photos of its occupants, Los Angeles police said.

Officers told the man twice to return to his car, CNN affiliate KTLA reported.

An SUV struck the paparazzo as he was returning across the street to leave, Stoughton said.

Authorities have not released his name. Police said in a statement that the driver of the SUV, a 69-year-old woman, stayed at the scene. There was no evidence that the woman was driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, authorities said.

"While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim," Bieber said in a statement.

"Hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders, and the photographers themselves."

In July, a group of paparazzi chased Bieber in separate vehicles down a freeway, whizzing past a Los Angeles city councilman, Dennis Zine, a reservist on the LAPD.

"He was coming up behind me, making abrupt lane changes, not giving signals, cutting off cars," Zine said. The photographers were keeping up with Bieber, thick on his heels.

Zine said he expected to see a crash and feared someone could die.

The lawmaker, known for supporting tough measures against obnoxious paparazzi behavior, alerted the highway patrol, who ticketed Bieber for speeding in his Fisker Karma, an expensive plug-in hybrid sports car.

A photographer was slapped with criminal charges, including reckless driving.

SOURCE

LA papparazzi are something else. Though it is sad that the papparazzo died, I hope it will teach a lesson to those who like to risk their safety, all in an effort to stalk/photograph a celeb.

RIP papparazzo. The news was all over twitter yesterday. Such a loss.

na wa oooo!!!! I wrote same story yestanite n you did urz this morning n yet you closed my trend on it coz you one of the mod. God is watching you in 3D

I didn't notice yours until afterwards, and this one had already garnered comments. That's why. My apologies.

Ayomax: na wa oooo!!!! I wrote same story yestanite n you did urz this morning n yet you closed my trend on it coz you one of the mod. God is watching you in 3D

Chei, I no know say Heaven get 3D. I still get 1080p for here. Wonders shall never end.