Bob Simon Killed in Car Crash

By Chris Ariens 

Bob Simon a longtime correspondent for “60 Minutes” was killed in a car accident tonight in New York City. The New York Daily News reports Simon was killed when the livery cab he was in crashed on the West Side Highway near 30th St.

Simon was a passenger in the livery cab when it rear-ended another car and slammed into a median. The News reports Simon was rushed to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, where he died.

Developing…

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Simon reported for “60 Minutes” just this past weekend profiling “Selma” director Ava DuVernay.

Simon joined CBS News in 1967, moving to the London Bureau in 1969. He was a war correspondent in Vietnam in the early 1970s and in 1977 moved to the Tel Aviv bureau. In 1981, he moved to Washington to be State Department correspondent and returned to the Middle East in 1987. At the outset of the first Gulf War, in 1991, Simon and his crew were captured by Iraqi forces and spent 40 days in captivity. During his captivity, CBS News put together an obituary for him. They gave it to him upon his safe return.

Simon joined “60 Minutes” in 1996. His daughter Tanya Simon is a producer on the show. She and her father have worked on stories together, including a profile of snowboarder Shaun White in 2010.

Scott Pelley Bob SimonUpdate: An emotional CBS News anchor Scott Pelley, himself a “60 Minutes” correspondent, anchored a special report at 10pmET:

We have some sad news tonight from within our CBS News family. Our “60 Minutes” colleague Bob Simon was killed this evening. It was a car accident in New York City… Bob’s daughter, Tanya, is a talented producer for “60 Minutes,” and tonight, our thoughts are with Tanya and Bob’s family and his many, many friends. Our colleague, Bob Simon of “60 minutes” was 73 years old.

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