Justin Bieber named in LA traffic mishap

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles police said Tuesday they are investigating a West Hollywood traffic accident in which a paparazzo was hit by a sports car driven by teen idol Justin Bieber.

Gossip website TMZ said Bieber, 19, was exiting the Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard late Monday when his white Ferrari struck a photographer, who was treated in hospital with unspecified injuries.

It posted video footage of the incident, in which Bieber is seen getting into the car with a male friend amid a crush of photographers, revving its engine, then driving off, apparently striking a paparazzo in the knee.

"Police have interviewed all parties involved," a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman told AFP, confirming the incident without identifying Bieber by name. "It's an ongoing investigation for a traffic collision."

Canadian-born chart-topper Bieber has been on a break from his ongoing North American tour. He is expected to announce concert dates for Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region in the next few days.