Bob Simon, longtime correspondent for 60 Minutes, died in a car accident in New York City Wednesday (Feb. 11) evening, he was 73. Simon was riding in the backseat of a hired Town Car that collided with another driver and hit a median at around 7:00 p.m.
Simon was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital.
Reports the New York Post:
The driver of the Mercedes said the black car was veering erratically before the crash.
“He swerved into me,” said the 23-year-old Mercedes driver.
“He hit me and he looked like he lost control of the car.”
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.
Cops said Simon’s driver also suffered two broken legs and a broken arm. He, too, was taken to Roosevelt, where he was listed in stable condition.
CBS News President David Rodes released the following statement on Simon’s sudden passing, “Bob Simon was a giant of broadcast journalism, and a dear friend to everyone in the CBS News family. We are all shocked by this tragic, sudden loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bob’s extended family and especially with our colleague Tanya Simon.”
Simon worked as a foreign war correspondent reporting from over 60 countries throughout his career. He joined 60 Minutes in 1996.
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