Veteran CBS newsman, Bob Simon, was killed in a Manhattan car crash on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. The 60 Minutes anchor was travelling on New York City’s West Side Highway in a hired car when the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle, slamming into another car. Simon was taken to St. Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 73 and leaves behind his wife, Francoise, and daughter, Tanya. Tanya is a producer for 60 Minutes.
“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,” said CBS News President David Rhodes.
“It’s a terrible loss for all of us at CBS News,” 60 Minutes Executive Producer Jeff Fager said in a statement. “It is such a tragedy made worse because we lost him in a car accident, a man who has escaped more difficult situations than almost any journalist in modern times.“Bob was a reporter’s reporter. He was driven by a natural curiosity that took him all over the world covering every kind of story imaginable,” Fager said. “There is no one else like Bob Simon. All of us at CBS News and particularly at 60 minutes will miss him very much.”
Read the full story: CBS News correspondent Bob Simon, 1941-2015
Born Robert David Simon in the Bronx, NY, Simon graduated from Brandeis University in 1962. After graduation he went to work in the American Foreign Service. He moved to reporting in 1967 when he joined CBS. His work as a reporter on the ground during the Vietnam War was highly recognized for its excellence. He was aboard one of the last helicopters to leave Saigon in 1975. Prior to joining the 60 Minutes team in 1996, Simon spent time covering the Gulf War. In 1991, he and other members of the CBS crew were captured by Iraqi forces. They were held for 40 days in an Iraqui prison where they were interrogated and beaten. Simon was highly decorated for his news reporting. Among the accolades were three Peabody Awards and 27 Emmys.
