What a crushing week for those working in journalism. Brian Williams seems to have an embellishment problem, Jon Stewart is "restless" and things at The View are so bad that even Barbara Walters will not return as a guest host. All that stuff seemed difficult until CBS was dealt a horrible blow last night, Feb. 11, when the car carrying legendary 60 Minutes correspondent and industry icon Bob Simon careened out of control on the West Side Highway, resulting in a car crash so bad that Simon and the driver had to be cut out of the flattened vehicle. Unfortunately, Simon was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital.
"The Town Car was so badly mangled rescuers had to pry open the roof to extract him from the rear of the car. Simon, a Bronx native, was found unresponsive with head and stomach injuries, cops said. The 44-year-old Lincoln driver was treated by first responders for a possible heart attack, according to police sources. It was not clear if he actually suffered a heart attack, nor was it immediately clear if he was stricken before or after the crash," said a source, according to a report by Page Six.
The NYPD has launched a full investigation into the crash as the industry begins to grieve over Simon while praising his top-notch reporting over five decades. Nearly every serious story in our nation's recent history featured Simon's reporting.
Not only did he survive harrowing reports from the field, but he also spent 40 days as an Iraqi hostage in 1991 at the start of the Gulf War. Perhaps the fact that he survived so many frightening situations over the years is what makes his death in an auto accident that much more surprising.
Since 1996, Simon has been a part of the 60 Minutes news team, and his daughter Tanya is also a producer with the long-running series. He was currently working on a story about Ebola that may air as his last report this weekend. Have you been a fan of Simon's reporting over the years? Tell us your thoughts on this shocking crash in the comments section below.
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