The wife of long-time ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman was one of two people killed in a two-vehicle crash in Woodbury, Connecticut, Tuesday afternoon and the other was a man who was returning home from visiting his wife's grave in a cemetery.
The crash happened on Route 64 near Tuttle Road at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday after a Lexus SC 430 driven by 67-year-old Katherine Berman, of Cheshire, and a Ford Escape, driven by Edward Bertulis, 87, of Waterbury, collided, according to state police.
"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 all the love and support he will surely need at this hour."
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State police said both vehicles were traveling east on Route 64 when the Lexus rear-ended the Ford, which veered right off the road, hit a utility pole, and landed upside down.
The Lexus also veered right, crashed off the road and down an embankment into a body of water, according to police.
The crash remains under investigation.
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The crash happened the day before Chris Berman's 62nd birthday.
Chris Berman joined the network in 1979 and married Kathy four years later, according to ESPN. He stepped down in January from his role as host of "Sunday NFL Countdown" after 31 seasons, but is still with the network, according to ESPN.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Chris, Meredith, Doug and his entire family," the statement from Skipper says.
Kathy Berman, a teacher, was married to Chris for 33 years, and she was the mother of two, according to ESPN.
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Chris Berman's colleagues have been expressing condolences on social media.
"Our hearts are heavy at ESPN as we report the tragic news that Kathy Berman, wife of Chris Berman, was killed in a car accident Tuesday," Adam Schefter wrote on Facebook.
Before joining ESPN, Chris Berman was a weekend sports anchor at NBC Connecticut.
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Bertulis' family members said he was returning from the cemetery where he visited his late wife every day since she passed away last year.
