Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- Paparazzi have had nasty run-ins with pop star Justin Bieber , including a high-speed chase in July that prompted a city councilman to predict that such an encounter could end tragically . It happened Tuesday . A photographer who thought he spied Bieber sitting in his parked white Ferrari was struck and killed by oncoming traffic as he walked across a Los Angeles street to get back to his car after snapping photos . An opportune picture of the 18-year-old celebrity can rake in hard currency , but Bieber was not in the car at the time of the New Year 's Day incident . California Highway Patrol officers had pulled over Bieber 's vehicle Tuesday evening near an off-ramp of Interstate 405 . The photographer , 29 , spotted the sports car stopped on Sepulveda Boulevard , parked his own vehicle across the street , crossed to get closer to Bieber 's car and took photos of its occupants , Los Angeles police said . Officers told the man twice to return to his car , CNN affiliate KTLA reported . An SUV struck the paparazzo as he was returning across the street to leave , Stoughton said . Authorities have not released his name . Police said in a statement that the driver of the SUV , a 69-year-old woman , stayed at the scene . There was no evidence that the woman was driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs , authorities said . `` While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident , my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim , '' Bieber said in a statement . `` 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 . '' In July , a group of paparazzi chased Bieber in separate vehicles down a freeway , whizzing past a Los Angeles city councilman , Dennis Zine , a reservist on the LAPD . `` He was coming up behind me , making abrupt lane changes , not giving signals , cutting off cars , '' Zine said . The photographers were keeping up with Bieber , thick on his heels . Zine said he expected to see a crash and feared someone could die . The lawmaker , known for supporting tough measures against obnoxious paparazzi behavior , alerted the highway patrol , who ticketed Bieber for speeding in his Fisker Karma , an expensive plug-in hybrid sports car . A photographer was slapped with criminal charges , including reckless driving . CNN 's Denise Quan contributed to this report .
NEW : Photographer , 29 , was struck by SUV driven by woman , 69 . Bieber was not in his Ferrari , he said in a statement . Police stopped the singer 's car on a street in Los Angeles .