Katherine Berman, the wife of legendary ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman, died Tuesday in a double-fatality car accident, according to Connecticut state police. She was 67.
Edward Bertulis, 87, was also killed in the crash. State Troopers are investigating the possibility that Bertulis suffered a medical emergency just before Berman’s car collided with the back of his car, according to the Hartford Courant.
“This is a devastating tragedy and difficult to comprehend,” ESPN President John Skipper said in a statement. “Chris is beloved by all his ESPN colleagues and for good reason: he has a huge heart and has given so much to so many over the years. We know how much his family means to him and all we can do at a moment like this is give him the love and support he will surely need at this hour. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chris, Meredith, Doug and the entire family.”
The Courant provided the following additional details on the accident, which came from the state police:
The 2003 Lexus SC 430 driven by Berman (pictured above with her husband and family) and 2003 Ford Escape X driven by Bertulis were headed east on Sherman Hill Road, about a mile and a half from the Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Connecticut, at the time of the crash.
The Lexus — owned by Chris Berman — rear-ended Bertulis’ Ford and continued traveling east, veering off the road to the right.
It then went down an embankment and overturned in a small body of water. The Ford also went off the road, striking a utility pole and landing in the middle of the road on its roof.
A police report obtained by TheWrap states that Katherine Berman was wearing a seatbelt at the time and her airbag deployed. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
Chris Berman joined ESPN one month after the cable channel launched in 1979. It was announced in January that he was reigning back his studio role at the network and stepping down from his post of hosting ESPN’s NFL studio programming after 31 seasons.