Chris Berman has had a long and successful career as a sportscaster with ESPN, starting with the network in 1979. He and his family received some tragic news recently, after his wife of 33 years, Kathy Berman, was killed in a fatal auto accident in Connecticut. Another driver involved in the crash also lost his life. The accident remains under investigation, as both families prepare to lay their loved ones to rest.
According to early reports, Kathy Berman was driving eastbound on Route 64 when the Lexus that she was driving rear-ended a Ford driven by an 87-year-old man. The man was returning home after visiting the grave of his wife, which he has done on a daily basis since her death last year. After the initial impact, the Lexus veered to the right of the roadway, down an embankment and into an unidentified body of water. The Ford also left the right side of the roadway, and crashed into a utility pole.
Investigators are trying to piece together what happened in the moments leading up to the crash. It is not known if the Ford suddenly entered the path of the Lexus, causing Kathy Berman to attempt a sudden evasive maneuver, or if Berman was traveling at an excessive rate of speed and simply crashed into the other vehicle. As the investigation moves forward, additional details will likely be released.
Once a determination has been made regarding the causal factors of this fatal auto accident, one of the two deceased drivers may be deemed responsible for the crash. In such a case, the family of the other party would have the right to seek legal recourse against the estate of the other driver. Of course, there are also cases in Connecticut in which road conditions, vehicle malfunction or other factors are what caused a deadly crash. While the families wait to see how the investigation moves ahead, they are also moving through the earliest stages of grief.
Source: NBC Connecticut, “Wife of ESPN’s Chris Berman Killed in Woodbury Crash“, May 10, 2017
