The phrase highlights the immediate reporting of an occurrence involving a death resulting from an unintentional event. For example, a local television station might use this terminology to alert viewers to a motor vehicle collision where one or more individuals have died.
The urgency and gravity associated with such incidents necessitate rapid dissemination of information to inform the public, alert emergency services, and potentially influence driver behavior. Historically, word-of-mouth or delayed print media were the primary methods of conveying such incidents, but contemporary media platforms enable near-instantaneous broadcasting.