A high-speed chase by police of a man driving a construction truck who had hit several cars in the chase, ran lights and drove on the sidewalk, resulted in the crash of two news choppers filming the chase, and resulted in the deaths of the four people on board.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there were six helicopters in the chase; five news and one police. Fortunately no one else was hurt, as the choppers went down in a central Phoenix park. While they caught fire, none on the ground were injured.
Where they came down was next to a boarded up abandoned building on a grass lawn (I say grass lawn because Phoenix has what they consider "rock" lawns as well).
An AP report says, "Killed on board the KTVK chopper were pilot Scott Bowerbank and photographer Jim Cox. (Craig) Smith and photographer Rick Krolak were aboard the KNXV aircraft."
Barbara Cochran, president of the Radio-Television News Directors Association in Washington, said she can't remember another example of two news helicopters hitting one another while filming a story.
The man involve in the chase was eventually apprehended and taken into custody. Authorities say it's possible he could be charged in connection to the tragedy.
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