Justin Bieber's Paparazzo Run-In Wasn't Hit-and-Run, Cops Say

By Aditi Mukherji, JD on June 18, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Justin Bieber's latest run-in with a paparazzo was not a hit-and-run, police tell Reuters.

According to an LAPD spokesman, officers are currently investigating what they have categorized as a "traffic collision" involving a "pedestrian in the roadway." The spokesman emphasized that it was "not a hit-and-run."

In the much-publicized incident, Bieber allegedly struck a photographer with his Ferrari while driving away from a comedy club in Los Angeles.

Bieber motioned the photographers to get out of the way, but apparently pinned one paparazzo between his Ferrari and a parked car as he pulled out, reports TMZ. The 19-year-old pop star then drove away.

The LAPD launched an investigation and interviewed Justin a few hours after the incident. Bieber allegedly told cops he didn't know he'd hit the photographer.

Police say the photog was not seriously hurt, but was at fault because he was a pedestrian in the roadway, reports TMZ.

Most people think that when a driver hits a pedestrian, the driver is always at fault. But as this case shows, that's not always true.

Even though they do less damage than cars, pedestrians can still be to blame for accidents when they are negligent. Generally, pedestrians are expected to act like reasonable people in guarding their own safety.

Common negligent mistakes by pedestrians include:

  • Crossing a street on a "don't walk" signal,
  • Walking or running into the flow of traffic,
  • Not using crosswalks, or
  • Sprinting in front of a car.

Pedestrians are also expected to be alert to traffic conditions and not solely rely on signals.

Generally, drivers owe a duty of care to pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists. They breach their duty when they drive negligently or recklessly.

Drivers also have an additional legal duty to take greater care around young children who are unpredictable around vehicles. Drivers can be at fault for not taking extra precautions in areas where children are present.

That's not an issue in this case, but it may crop up in Bieber's other driving debacle with Lil Twist and the infamous white Ferrari. The pop star is under investigation for a separate driving incident in May, when his neighbors complained that he was speeding through his gated Los Angeles-area subdivision. The incident led to a spat with former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, who lives in the neighborhood with his young children.

The lesson of the story: If you have Bieber fever, buckle up.

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