Kathy Berman, the wife of popular ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, was killed Tuesday in a car accident in rural Connecticut. She was 67.
Kathy Berman Cause of Death
Berman died following a two-car crash near Woodbury, Connecticut. She was a teacher and was married to Chris for more than 33 years. The couple had two children together, Meredith and Douglas.
“This is a devastating tragedy and difficult to comprehend,” John Skipper, president of ESPN, 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 two-car crash took place around 2:15 P.M. Edward Bertulis, 87, was also killed in the accident, police said Wednesday morning.
Via The Hartford Courant:
According to the state police, the 2003 Lexus SC 430 driven by Berman and Bertulis’ 2003 Ford Escape X were headed east on Sherman Hill Road 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.
The Lexus went down a small embankment and overturned in a small body of water, state police said. The Ford also went off the road, striking a utility pole and landing in the middle of the road on its roof.
Chris Berman first joined ESPN in 1979 at age 24, just one month after the network’s founding, and married Kathy four years later. A story in the Hartford Courant in 1993 told how Chris Berman faked car trouble so he could ask Kathy for help and a breakfast date.
Chris left his post as a host of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown after 31 seasons in January. He remains with the network after signing a new contract.