Viral West Hills police chase clip is from 2022, not 2025 [VIDEO]

Viral West Hills Police Chase Clip Isn’t New — It’s From 2022

A heart-stopping police pursuit clip is exploding across X (formerly Twitter) this week, showing a motorcyclist racing through West Hills, Los Angeles, before colliding with a car in a violent crash. Many posts claim it happened on August 12, 2025, but Hip-HopVibe.com can confirm this footage is more than three years old — and the real story is even more tragic.

The Anchor Clip That Sparked Debate

One of the most memorable — and controversial — aspects of the 2022 West Hills police chase coverage is the anchor’s reaction in the moments after the crash. In the viral CBSN Los Angeles footage, the anchor pauses, briefly shifts her expression, and then continues speaking in a measured tone.

Viewers have long argued about what exactly happened in that moment. Some claim she appeared to stifle a laugh, interpreting it as gallows humor or unprofessional behavior. Others defend her, pointing out that live broadcasters often experience delayed emotional processing when something shocking happens on air. In some cases, what looks like a smirk could be a reflexive response to the stress of watching an unexpected tragedy unfold in real time.

The debate over her reaction is a reminder of how quickly public perception can turn — especially when a short clip is removed from its original context. Without the full broadcast or an understanding of the anchor’s perspective, online audiences are left to fill in the blanks, often projecting their own emotions onto the footage.

Why Everyone’s Talking About It Now

Yesterday (August 12), at around 4:00 PM PDT (7:00 PM EDT), an X post featuring the chase gained millions of views in hours. The post’s caption — “Gonna have to shovel this guy into a coffin” — fueled shock value, while the CBSN Los Angeles logo in the corner made it appear like a breaking news broadcast.

The clip shows a motorcyclist weaving through traffic on Roscoe Boulevard at estimated speeds of up to 100 mph. Just seconds later, the rider slams into a white sedan making a turn, launching high into the air in a horrifying scene that left viewers stunned.

As of now, the post has over 13 million views, 116,000 likes, and thousands of reposts, with reactions ranging from morbid humor to outrage at reckless driving.

But here’s the catch — this isn’t a 2025 incident at all.

The Real Story: January 20, 2022

The footage comes from a real LAPD pursuit that happened on January 20, 2022.

On that afternoon, 30-year-old Ruben Contreras Jr. was spotted riding a stolen motorcycle. LAPD undercover officers initially tried to pull him over for suspicious activity, but Contreras fled, reaching speeds of up to 130 mph.

Due to public safety concerns and heavy traffic, LAPD called off the ground pursuit, leaving a helicopter to track him from above. That decision didn’t slow Contreras down — and minutes later, tragedy struck.

At the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Fallbrook Avenue in West Hills, Contreras collided head-on with a white sedan making a left turn. The impact threw him roughly 100 feet. He died instantly from blunt force trauma.

Two people in the car suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

LAPD Captain Andy Neiman called it “a sad example of the consequences of reckless driving.”

Why the Clip Resurfaces Over and Over

This isn’t the first time the video has gone viral. It resurfaces every year or two, often misrepresented as a new event. Several factors make it irresistible to social media users:

1. Shock factor — The crash is sudden, graphic, and caught live on TV.
2. High drama — Police chases are already high-adrenaline content, and this one ends in an extreme way.
3. Anchor reaction — Viewers fixate on the news anchor’s seemingly incongruent facial expression after the crash, sparking debates over whether she was suppressing a smile or reacting nervously.
4. Easy to mislabel — The CBSN Los Angeles logo and “Breaking News” banner give it a fresh-news appearance, even years later.

The Misinformation Problem

This week’s wave of reposts shows how easily old footage can fool millions. A 2023 National Institute of Justice study found that 1 in 5 police pursuits ends in death or serious injury. That’s a statistic often cited in discussions about whether high-speed chases should be restricted.

But when old incidents are reshared as new without context, they can distort public perception and create unnecessary panic. Some users even linked this clip to unrelated events in Texas and California. Thus, fueling a false narrative of “connected crime waves.”

How People Are Reacting Online

The latest viral post has sparked intense — and divided — reactions:

• “FAFO” (Good Riddance) Crowd: Many see it as natural consequences for reckless behavior. Comments like “Natural selection at work” and “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes” dominate this group.
• Sympathy for the Car’s Driver: Others focus on the trauma inflicted on the innocent driver, who did nothing wrong but still has to live with the memory of the crash.
• Media Critique: Some users accuse the news anchor of being insensitive or the media of exploiting these chases for ratings.
• Fact-Checkers: A growing number of users are now pointing out the true 2022 date, pushing back against the misinformation.

Pursuit Policies Under the Spotlight

In cities like Los Angeles, where traffic is dense and speeds can escalate dangerously, police pursuit policies are constantly debated. Critics argue that many pursuits cause more harm than good, while supporters believe they’re necessary to catch dangerous suspects.

In this case, LAPD had already called off the ground chase — but the speed and recklessness of the rider still led to a fatal outcome.

How to Spot a Recycled Viral Clip

This West Hills crash is just one of many old videos rebranded as new for clicks. Here are quick tips to avoid being misled:

• Reverse image/video search — Tools like InVID or Google Images can show the earliest uploads.
• Look for watermarks & logos — Local news graphics often match archives you can search directly.
• Check the comments — Fact-checkers often appear quickly in viral threads.
• Search local outlets — If an event is truly breaking, local news sites will have same-day coverage.

Bottom Line

The viral West Hills police chase clip flooding social media this week did happen — but in 2022, not 2025. While the footage is real, it’s being misrepresented in ways that mislead millions and amplify fear.

Understanding the real story honors the truth — and reminds us that not every “breaking” video online is what it claims to be.