A US television reporter’s instinctive reaction after witnessing a car crash unfold live on air has gone viral, with viewers praising how quickly he regained his composure and continued with the broadcast.
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KJ Jacobs, a meteorologist and traffic anchor for WCPO 9 in Cincinnati, Ohio, was delivering a live traffic update when an unexpected collision unfolded right in front of the traffic camera.
Reporter witnesses crash during live broadcast
Jacobs was explaining how traffic was slowing around a stalled vehicle sitting in the centre lane of Interstate 71 when another car appeared to merge onto the highway and crashed directly into it.
Caught completely off guard by the impact, Jacobs instinctively exclaimed, “Oh sh..!” before stopping himself.
He quickly apologised and continued, “Oh, I’m so sorry. This literally, just watched the crash happen in real time, and I almost said something inappropriate. But you can see this car just smash right into this car in real time.”
Despite the startling moment, Jacobs remained professional and continued explaining what viewers had just witnessed.
“So just watch this in real time, that impact right there. Can imagine what that felt like and what it would have sounded like had I heard it,” he continued.
‘A natural reaction on LIVE TV’
Jacobs later shared a clip of the broadcast on Instagram and poked fun at his own spontaneous reaction.
“A natural reaction on LIVE TV, but I’m so glad I hit the brakes just in time!” he wrote while sharing the video.
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
Social media users were amused by how relatable his initial response was, while many also praised him for recovering almost immediately and continuing the report.
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One user joked, “That reaction was all of us watching.” Another said, “You caught yourself just in time.” A third commented, “Honestly, that was the most natural live TV reaction ever.” Another viewer added, “The professionalism after that shock was impressive.”
