At about 11:50AM Sunday morning I was watching the streaming video on the CBS Los Angeles website of the 405 reopening. They were showing an aerial view of police and fire vehicles riding south on the 405 when a "civilian car" got on the freeway. This was supposedly the first civilian motorist on the reopened 405. Then I heard the chopper pilot talking to the cameraman on board the aircraft saying that the assignment desk wanted a close up shot of the license plate. And a few seconds later there it was for everyone to see on the world wide web.

Did the assignment desk want the license plate number so they could contact this driver later for a story? OK, I can understand that. But did they have to put it out on the web for the world to see?

Did the police ask for the license plate because this civilian was not yet allowed on the 405?