Fox News apologizes after car chase coverage ends in apparent suicide

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Fox News has apologized for accidentally airing live coverage of a carjacker's apparent suicide, the tragic end to a high-speed car chase outside Phoenix, Arizona.

In a statement, Fox News executive vice president Michael Clemente said:

Using helicopter footage from a local affiliate, the station began following the chase at around 3pm and continued covering it when the carjacker pulled off the highway and walked out into a field.

"I'm just not sure about this," Fox News anchor Shepard Smith said over the footage as the man left his car. "This makes me a little nervous, I gotta tell ya."

"Get off! Get off! Get off! Get off it!" Smith then shouted repeatedly to his control room as the network showed video of the man putting a gun to his head.

After returning from an abrupt commercial break, Smith said that a technical mistake prevented the station's usual video delay from working.

"We really messed up...that didn't belong on TV," he said.

Here's Smith's on-air apology and explanation for what happened:

Smith said that Fox News would update viewers on what happened Friday night on "The Fox Report."

[Video via Mediaite]