TMZ Tour Bus Driver Caught Up In Bizarre Car Pursuit Speaks Out
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — It was perhaps the most-talked about moment of a very bizarre chase Thursday.
The chase of two robbery suspects from Cerritos to South LA lasted for nearly two hours.
While the pursuit will long be remembered for the driver going on sidewalks, doing donuts on Hollywood Boulevard, nearly swiping cars on the freeway and even members of the community taking selfies with the suspects at the end -- the eyebrow-raising moment came when the suspects tried to pass a TMZ tour bus on the 101 Freeway.
The driver appeared to intentionally try to box the suspects in.
On Thursday evening, however, the driver (who didn't want his face shown) told CBS2's Erica Nochlin the move wasn't intentional at all.
He says he was just trying to pull to the right for police.
"I was just obeying the law," Arzu said.
The driver says he didn't even see all the chaos that was happening outside his window. He also didn't see one of the suspects throw what was originally thought to be a hamburger at his vehicle. (Police said it appeared to be a foam cup.)
Many believe the driver was a hero -- slowing down the suspects long enough for police to get a good tail on them.
"I don't feel like a celebrity," Arzu told Nochlin, "I was just doing my job."
No one was hurt -- the bus was empty. The driver told Nochlin the vehicle didn't even sustain a scratch.
The driver's boss said it was all just another day in Hollywood.
"It's kind of the five seconds of fame maybe," said Kami Farhadi, CEO of Starline Tours.
Tour or not, visitors to Los Angeles got to see plenty of action on the streets of Hollywood. Perhaps that's why when they drove into South L.A., the suspects received a warm reception by a big crowd. They were even given high-fives, hugs, and had time to take selfies.
"I thought it was a famous person driving by or something," said witness Julia McIntyre, visiting from Georgia.
She quickly realized -- this is not a movie.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh! I've never seen one of these before!'," she said.
She also got a special greeting from the driver.
"He was either waving or he was flipping us off, I don't know which one because he was going so fast," she said.
Meanwhile, the bus driver says he could now use a vacation.
"It won't be the last time this crazy thing happens," he said.
