Veteran CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon, for more than four decades one of America’s most respected journalists, was killed in a crash Wednesday night after his limo driver lost control of the vehicle on the West Side Highway.
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Veteran CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon, for more than four decades one of America’s most respected journalists, was killed in a crash Wednesday night after his limo driver lost control of the vehicle on the West Side Highway.
The Lincoln Town Car in which Simon, 73, was riding collided with a Mercedes-Benz, then veered across the roadway and plowed into a pedestrian expansion near West 30th Street at about 7 p.m., according to law enforcement sources.
The driver of the Mercedes – identified as 23-year-old Zachery Miller – said the black car was veering erratically before the crash.
“He swerved into me,” said the 23-year-old Mercedes driver, a resident of New Rochelle. “He hit me and he looked like he lost control of the car.”
Simon was taken to Roosevelt Hospital in Midtown, where he died.
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 – identified as Reshad Abdul Fedahi – was treated by first responders for a possible heart attack, according to police sources. He also had two broken legs, a busted right arm and tested negative for booze, law enforcement sources said.
It was not clear if Fedahi actually suffered a heart attack, nor was it immediately clear if he was stricken before or after the crash.
His car was owned by Travez Transportation Inc., based in Long Island City.
Fedahi had two moving violations and nine cleared suspensions on his record.
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00:01 Legendary CBS news correspondent Bob Simon died Wednesday night in00:05 a car crash in New York City he was 73. Simon00:09 was a longtime correspondent for sixty minutes. As award winning career00:12 spanned more than 45 years through major overseas conflicts since the00:17 1960s. CBS New York City affiliate reported the crash took place00:22 on the city's west side highway alongside the Hudson River. Authorities00:25 say Simon was the passenger in a car that lost control00:28 and slammed into another vehicle. CBS news vice president Chris licht00:32 called the Simon a true legend. And said the tragic loss00:36 of Bob Simon is heartbreaking news for the entire CBS family.00:40 Simon joined CBS news in 1967. After serving three years as00:45 an American foreign service officer. He is originally from Bronx New00:49 York in graduate from Brandeis University as a historic nature.
Bob Simon of "60 Minutes," attends the New York premiere of "The Railway Man" in New York, April 7, 2014.(Photo: AP/Andy Kropa, Invision)
The outpouring of sympathy and support for the family of CBS News correspondent Bob Simon continued Thursday, hours after the longtime newsman was killed in a car crash.
Simon, correspondent for 60 Minutes, was riding on New York's West Side Highway in a for-hire Lincoln Town Car when the crash took place shortly before 7 p.m. ET, according to CBS. The southbound car lost control, hit a Mercedes-Benz stopped at a red light and then struck the median, CBS reported.
Emergency responders found Simon unconscious in the backseat with injuries to his head and stomach, CBS said. He was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center.
The driver was listed in stable condition at another hospital, and no charges had been filed.
The driver of the Mercedes – identified as 23-year-old Zachery Miller – told the New York Post the black car was veering erratically before the crash.
"He swerved into me," said the 23-year-old Mercedes driver, a resident of New Rochelle. "He hit me, and he looked like he lost control of the car."
A shaky-voiced Scott Pelley, anchor of CBS Evening News, announced Simon's passing on the air shortly before 10 p.m. ET, offering condolences on the part of the network to Simon's family.
CBS News President David Rhodes issued a statement calling Simon "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."
Tanya Simon, Bob Simon's daughter, is a producer at 60 Minutes.
"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.
Simon's distinguished career included 40 days in an Iraqi prison, a time that Fager described Wednesday night as an "incredibly difficult situation to get through." Upon his release, a bearded, gaunt Simon described a harrowing situation in which he was spit at and tortured.
Longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon died in a car crash in New York on Wednesday. He was 73. Simon covered riots, Academy Award-nominated movies and wars and was held captive for more than a month in Iraq two decades ago. (Feb. 12) AP
Fager said it was ironic that Simon would face threatening situations around the world over the years only to die after a car accident right in New York. The executive described Simon as a fun person to be around who had a natural curiosity.
"If I said, 'You know what, Bob, I have a really good story and it's halfway around the world,' he'd be on its way before you knew what it was about," Fager said.
Simon's award-winning career spanned five decades and took him from Japan to Egypt, and from Vietnam to Paraguay, according to CBS.
Officials survey the scene of an accident following a collision in New York, Wednesday that killed veteran "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon. (Photo: Kathy Willens, AP)
People who knew Simon expressed shock and sadness Wednesday evening.
Political commentator Brit Hume tweeted: "So sad to see Bob Simon, who went to so many hard & dangerous places & had so many close calls in his career, killed in a car NY crash. RIP"
Ava DuVernay, director of the movie Selma, tweeted, "Stunned. We spent time together on my 60 Minutes piece just a few weeks ago. My goodness. May God rest his soul."
CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin tweeted, "Bob Simon represented the very best in television news. His death is a tragedy."
Former CBS News executive Paul Friedman praised Simon for his talent and professionalism.
"Bob was one of the finest reporters and writers in the business," said Friedman, who teaches broadcast writing at Quinnipiac University. "He, better than most, knew how to make pictures and words work together to tell a story, which is television news at its best."
Simon joined CBS News in New York in 1967 after serving three years as an American Foreign Service officer.
The Bronx native graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University as a history major. He is survived by his wife, Francoise, and daughter, Tanya.
"60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon died at the age of 73 in a car accident involving the cab he was riding in New York City, Wednesday. Here Simon is seen at a CBS presentation in New York City on May 19, 2010. (Photo: Peter Kramer, AP)
Bob Simon of "60 Minutes," attends the New York premiere of "The Railway Man" in New York, April 7, 2014. (Photo: AP/Andy Kropa, Invision)
Here Simon attends the premiere screening of "Faces of America With Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr." in New York Feb. 1, 2010. (Photo: Evan Agostini, AP)
Officials survey the scene of an accident following a collision in New York, Wednesday that killed veteran "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon. (Photo: Kathy Willens, AP)
A New York City Policeman stands next to the crashed livery cab "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon was traveling in. (Photo: Jason Szenes, epa)
A New York City Policeman stands next to the crashed livery cab. (Photo: Jason Szenes, epa)
A view of the crashed livery cab in which Bob Simon was traveling. (Photo: Jason Szenes, epa)
A police officer surveys the scene of the accident Wednesday, (Photo: Kathy Willens, AP)
CBS News' Bob Simon died in a car accident Wednesday evening. (Photo: Tony Esparza, CBS)
The correspondents for "60 Minutes II" are (clockwise beginning with seated) Dan Rather, anchor and managing editor, Vicki Mabrey, Charlie Rose and Bob Simon. (Photo: Tony Esparza, CBS)
Bob Simon reporting for CBS News in 1991. (Photo: CBS)
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![Tanya Simon;Bob Simon [& Family]](https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/bob5.jpg?w=840)
Bob Simon poses on the roof of the CBS Broadcast Center in New York on March 5, 1999.
AP
Simon embraces his wife, Francoise (right), and daughter Tanya (left) after he was freed from 40 days of imprisonment by Iraqi soldiers in 1991.
Getty Images
Simon (second from right) with his CBS crew in 1991.
Getty Images
Simon speaks with a news producer at the CBS Broadcast Center in 2010.
AP
Makeup artist Riccie Johnson gets Simon ready for “60 Minutes” in 2014.
Anne Wermiel
Simon is freed after he and three colleagues were captured by Iraqi soldiers in Kuwait and taken to Baghdad during the Gulf War. Simon, who was held for 40 days, was interrogated and beaten before he and his colleagues, who many believed were dead, were finally released.
CBS
Simon got a rare access to the monks who live in an ancient monastery on a remote Greek peninsula where life hasn’t changed for a thousand years.
CBS
Simon speaks to fellow “60 Minutes” correspondents Mike Wallace (left) and Steve Kroft.
CBS
The “60 Minutes II” team, from left: Simon, Vicki Mabrey, Dan Rather, Scott Pelley and Charlie Rose.
CBS
Simon, Morley Safer and Jeff Greenfield attend a film screening in New York in 2010.
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Veteran CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Bob Simon, for more than four decades one of America’s most respected journalists, was killed in a crash Wednesday night after his limo driver lost control of the vehicle on the West Side Highway.
The Lincoln Town Car in which Simon, 73, was riding collided with a Mercedes-Benz, then veered across the roadway and plowed into a pedestrian expansion near West 30th Street at about 7 p.m., according to law enforcement sources.
The driver of the Mercedes – identified as 23-year-old Zachery Miller – said the black car was veering erratically before the crash.
“He swerved into me,” said the 23-year-old Mercedes driver, a resident of New Rochelle. “He hit me and he looked like he lost control of the car.”
Simon was taken to Roosevelt Hospital in Midtown, where he died.
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 – identified as Reshad Abdul Fedahi – was treated by first responders for a possible heart attack, according to police sources. He also had two broken legs, a busted right arm and tested negative for booze, law enforcement sources said.
It was not clear if Fedahi actually suffered a heart attack, nor was it immediately clear if he was stricken before or after the crash.
His car was owned by Travez Transportation Inc., based in Long Island City.
Fedahi had two moving violations and nine cleared suspensions on his record.
Both the Lincoln and Mercedes were covered by insurance.
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.
Simon, who lived on the Upper West Side, was traveling downtown to attend a seminar, source said.
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Scene of the fatal crash involving CBS reporter Bob Simon.
Christopher Sadowski
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President Barack Obama prays, a hedgehog predicts the weather, troops have a warm homecoming and more.
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Simon, a former war correspondent, joined “60 Minutes” in 1996.
CBS News President David Rhodes released a statement mourning the loss of his friend.
“Bob Simon was a giant of broadcast journalism, and a dear friend to everyone in the CBS News family,” Rhodes said. “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.”
Tanya, Simon’s daughter, is a producer for “60 Minutes.”
Simon, who won 25 Emmy Awards, was working with Tanya on a segment about Ebola. It was scheduled to air this Sunday.
Another of Simon’s colleagues, “CBS Evening News” anchor Scott Pelley, delivered an emotional special report Wednesday night.
“We have some sad news from within our CBS News family,” Pelley said while appearing to fight back tears. “Our ‘60 Minutes’ colleague Bob Simon was killed this evening.”
Simon, who joined the network in 1967, launched his career as a foreign correspondent while covering the Vietnam War from the London and Saigon bureaus.
He was aboard one of the last helicopters out of Saigon in 1975, according to CBS.
Simon also covered the Gulf War in 1991, when he and several members of a CBS News crew were captured by Iraqi forces and held hostage.
They spent 40 days in an Iraqi prison, where they were interrogated and beaten with canes.
Some of Simon’s notable recent reports included an interview with Iraqi insurgency leader Muqtada al-Sadr and coverage of Sudan, where thousands of people were displaced after the second civil war.
In addition to his daughter, Simon is survived by his wife, Francoise, and grandson, Jack.
Additional reporting by Michael Starr and Matt McNulty
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Bob Simon, an award-winning CBS News correspondent whose career spanned nearly 50 years and many major world conflicts, was killed in a car crash in Manhattan on Wednesday, according to the network and the authorities. He was 73.
Mr. Simon was a passenger in a livery cab that sideswiped a Mercedes-Benz sedan stopped at a red light on 12th Avenue near West 30th Street about 6:45 p.m., the police said. The cab then careened into the median, crashing into the metal stanchions separating the northbound and southbound traffic lanes. Mr. Simon was taken to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The 44-year-old livery-cab driver was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center with injuries to his legs and arms, the Fire Department said. The driver of the Mercedes-Benz was not injured, according to the police.
The police said on Wednesday night that the accident was under investigation.
Mr. Simon, who was in his 19th season as a correspondent for “60 Minutes,” won dozens of honors, including 27 Emmy Awards and four Peabody Awards, in a career that dated to the 1960s. He covered many major news events during the course of that career and, as a war correspondent, was captured by Iraqi forces near the Saudi-Kuwaiti border during the opening days of the Persian Gulf war in January 1991. He wrote about the experience in his 1992 memoir, “40 Days.” The title referred to the length of his captivity.
He joined CBS News in 1967 as a reporter and assignment editor in New York covering unrest on college campuses, inner-city riots and the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. He found his niche as a war reporter covering the Vietnam War.
He was based in Saigon and London from 1971 to 1977, and left Saigon on one of the last helicopters out of the city in 1975, CBS reported. He also covered conflicts in Northern Ireland and Portugal, as well as American military actions in Grenada, Somalia and Haiti.
He was assigned to the CBS’s Tel Aviv bureau from 1977 to 1981, before moving to Washington as the network’s State Department correspondent from 1981 to 1982. He returned to New York as a national correspondent until 1987, when he returned to Tel Aviv as the network’s chief Middle East correspondent, CBS said.
In 2000, Mr. Simon was recognized with a Peabody Award for “a body of work by an outstanding international journalist on a diverse set of critical global issues,” followed by an Emmy for lifetime achievement in 2003. He became a full-time correspondent for “60 Minutes” in 2005. He recently reported on the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt, and earned his most recent Emmy for a story about an orchestra in Paraguay whose members made instruments out of trash.
His latest contribution to “60 Minutes” aired over the weekend and was an interview with Ava DuVernay, the director of “Selma,” according to CBS.
“It’s a terrible loss for all of us at CBS News,” Jeff Fager, executive producer of “60 Minutes,” 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 said. “He was driven by a natural curiosity that took him all over the world covering every kind of story imaginable. There is no one else like Bob Simon. All of us at CBS News and particularly at 60 Minutes will miss him very much.”
Mr. Simon was born on May 29, 1941, in the Bronx, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University in 1962 with a degree in history, according to his biography page on the CBS website. Before joining CBS, he worked as a Foreign Service officer from 1964 to 1967. He was also a Fulbright scholar in France and a Woodrow Wilson scholar.
His survivors include his wife, Françoise, and their daughter, Tanya, who is a producer for “60 Minutes” in New York.
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