14 DAY TRIAL // A paparazzo was killed the other day after being hit by a car as he was trying to snap pictures of Justin Bieber’s Ferrari. Today, the pop star is asking for stricter laws against the paparazzi, which would offer better protection to all those involved.
The accident took place on Sepulveda Boulevard, where the paparazzo had followed Justin’s car, not aware that he was not even driving it, as he had lent it to a friend.
Reports in the media say that the photographer was convinced he’d seen Justin smoke pot at the wheel earlier in the day, and was bent on getting photographic evidence of that.
He crossed the Boulevard to snap pictures of the car and, on his way back to his own vehicle, was hit by another car and killed on the spot.
In a statement to the press, cited by the LA Times, Bieber notes that none of that would have happened if stricter anti-paparazzi laws had been in effect.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim,” the singer says.
“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,” he adds.
He’s not the only celebrity to believe that stricter laws in this sense would be of extreme use. Miley Cyrus, for one, is using her Twitter to lobby for them, even comparing Justin to Princess Diana, who tragically found her end in a car crash provoked by the paparazzi.
“Your mom teaches you when you're a child not to play in the street,” she writes, before adding that none of this is Justin’s fault.
“It is unfair for anyone to put this on to Justin's conscious as well! This was bound to happen! The chaos that comes with the paparazzi acting like fools makes it impossible for anyone to make safe choices,” Miley writes.
“Hope this paparazzi/JB accident brings on some changes in '13 Paparazzi are dangerous! Wasn't Princess Di enough of a wake up call?!” Miley asks.