Monday, June 17, will mark 30 years since a white Ford Bronco with OJ Simpson inside led police on a low-speed chase that captivated millions across the country.
It also launched the career of Branimir Kvartuc, an aspiring photojournalist at the time.
Kvartuc recalled to L.A.’s Morning News’ Mike Simpson and Margaret Carerro how he captured one of the most iconic photos of the chase.
“I was sick that day and I was in bed. I had strep throat and I was woken up by the interruption of the NBA finals on TV,” he said. “Because I was a student…I bought a police scanner and for the three months before this chase, I had gone out to police calls where mostly everything was nothing, but I taught myself how to leave the house. And so, when the 187 suspect call came on and I saw that O J went from the 5 Freeway to the 91 Freeway West, that's when I left the house and I drove as fast as I could drive to try to catch up with the Bronco.”
During his drive, Kvartuc said he was listening to KNX News and the scanner.
“But what really tipped me off was about a dozen helicopters in the sky that showed me exactly where he was,” he told L.A.’s Morning News. “And that's when I pulled over on the Wilmington overpass on the 91 Freeway and climbed that freeway fence to capture that photo.”
That photo he’s referring to is that infamous photo of the white Ford Bronco, driven by A.C. Crowley, at the forefront with police cars behind it.
But Kvartuc said that at the time, he didn’t realize he’d struck photography gold.
“No, I did not know that I had the shot because I was a 22-year-old inexperienced wannabe photojournalist and I climbed back off that fence and ran back to my car and continued pursuit,” he said.
He did note the photo helped open doors for him.
“I really, really wanted to be a photojournalist and I became a photojournalist because of this photo that my career opened up instantly,” he said. “And so I don't have mixed feelings. I boxed that off. I had one job to do and that was capture this chase. And I did it at the very beginning of my career and it stayed with me for 30 years.”
And in case you’re wondering if he has seen the memes based on the photo, Kvartuc said he gets them sent to him daily.
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