’60 Minutes’ correspondent Bob Simon dead at 73

Sad news is breaking this evening that should rock the news community to its core. Bob Simon, the legendary journalist and news correspondent for “60 Minutes” and CBS, has died after a car accident in New York City. He was 73 years old. He is known for crafting some of the most-important pieces over the past several decades, and was known for his voice, his influence, and above all, his integrity and willingness to constantly get to the bottom of any story.

Simon’s passing was confirmed by “60 Minutes” executive producer Jeff Fager, who passed along the following message in a statement:

“It’s a terrible loss for all of us at CBS News. It is such a tragedy made worse because we lost him in a car accident, a man who has escaped more difficult situations than almost any journalist in modern times.

“Bob was a reporter’s reporter. He was driven by a natural curiosity that took him all over the world covering every kind of story imaginable. There is no one else like Bob Simon. All of us at CBS News and particularly at 60 Minutes will miss him very much.”

We are not always a particular fan of posting reactions to significant deaths, given that they are often from people unrelated and serve at times to just generate attention. However, we feel like hearing from Simon’s contemporaries further help to establish just what sort of power and influence he yielded.

We anticipate that “60 Minutes” will be paying proper due to Simon and his work in the weeks ahead. His last piece profiled Ava DuVernay, the director behind the Oscar-nominated movie “Selma,” and it aired just this month.

Simon will be deeply missed as a force within network news, and an inspiration for more who looked for the truth in difficult times and places.

CBS News correspondent, Bob Simon, 73, killed in a car accident in New York City on the West Side Hiway. What a loss pic.twitter.com/wNFfU2ODo3

— Al Roker (@alroker) February 12, 2015

#BobSimon was the best writer, in my opinion, working in broadcast news. I have admired him from the time I was a kid watching #CBSNews

— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) February 12, 2015

Heartbreaking news about Bob Simon of @60Minutes, a brilliant writer and reporter and someone I admired deeply.

— Katie Couric (@katiecouric) February 12, 2015

A courageous, no-nonsense reporter with the touch of a poet
RIP Bob Simonhttp://t.co/uIgjMqvF4D

— Candy Crowley (@CandyCrowley) February 12, 2015

One of the great writers of a generation has passed. Bob Simon was a journalist of extraordinary courage.

— Scott Pelley (@ScottPelley) February 12, 2015

So sorry to learn of the passing of Bob Simon. He was a great reporter & wonderful man. A frequent guest of mine. So sorry to hear this. RIP

— Larry King (@kingsthings) February 12, 2015

Condolences to the family of my friend and long-time colleague, CBS News Correspondent Bob Simon.

— Dan Rather (@DanRather) February 12, 2015

Bob Simon's writing and storytelling were the best of what tv journalism can be. He leaves a huge void. My prayers are w his family and CBS

— David Gregory (@davidgregory) February 12, 2015