She grew up, at times slightly impoverished, and had to fight to go to college and study broadcasting. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. OBVIOUSLY, if I had remembered the details I might have skipped this story. New Hope Police Chief Walter Everett said the two were last seen having dinner at the Chez Odette restaurant, about 35 miles northeast of Philadelphia, at about 7 p.m. EDT Sunday. The rate of fatalities from sudden trauma 3.6 deaths for . I remember her well, and as an aside her younger sister Lori worked at WPXI TV in Pittsburgh as a local anchor in the early 1990s. KYW producer Cliff Abromats stated, She [Savitch] was very good on her feet. Did anyone else notice how radically different her appearance was in her final news broadcast versus the other photos? College tuition was practically unaffordable because our widowed mother still had two more children at home to raise and educate. Its limo dreams in a station wagon reality. [12][18], According to her biographers Blair and Nash, Savitch was a driven perfectionist who constantly battled insecurities about her appearance and ability, suffered from social anxiety, and tended to isolate herself from network colleagues. NEW HOPE, Pa. -- NBC newscaster Jessica Savitch, whose professional triumphs and personal tragedies were documented in her recent autobiography 'Anchorwoman,' drowned in a canal 'within a very few minutes' of a car crash in a rainstorm, officials say. The G body wagons were nice, but always looked very plain without the woodgrain. This wagon was officially known as a Cutlass Cruiser, until it morphed into a Ciera a few years later.. Katz a tip, email him here. R.I.P. To learn more about Jessica Hollifield motorcycle accident, read the following article. ''It was raining, the weather was bad,'' Mr. Everett said. As they drove in rain and fog from the parking lot of a restaurant in New Hope, their car went off a towpath and fell into the Delaware Canal. The bodies were found in the car at about 1 a.m. EDT. She was made Senate correspondent but she was in over her head. Sadly the dealer trying to sell it to us had a ridiculous price on it at the time and dad passed. [2], Jessica Savitch was born February 1, 1947, in Wilmington, Delaware. Death Cause of Jessica Savitch: Unfortunately, she is not physically present with us today. [4][19][20] These assertions were disputed by Savitch's family and some of her friends after her death. Although she was upset by his death, Savitch returned to her work at NBC three weeks later. Almost Golden states, when KYW brought the scene into the audiences living rooms on a warm holiday evening, it made for powerful television. In addition, Topping told Savitch, Youve made your career.[5], Savitch often personalized her stories by becoming part of the story herself, such as serving as an undercover decoy [with police posted unobstrusively along the route] for two weeks as part of her series on rape. NBC executives and colleagues praised her skillful narration of film showing the murders of Congressman Leo Ryan and several others in a mass shooting by members of the Peoples Temple at Jonestown. Savitch, 36, and her companion, New York Post executive Martin M. Fischbein, 34 . At the height of her fame she was known for Gucci belts, Halston dresses, piles of cocaine, penthouses and pills. Those of us who grew up with the Kennedys were quietly relieved that Teddy had knocked himself out of the presidential stakes he was nowhere near the politician John and Bobby were. Today, the choices are so great and the distribution of content so diverse the messenger is not in the spotlight to be idolized or scrutinized like they were back then. I had old blue for over 3 years as my daily driver to college and racked up an impossible 151K miles on her (bought with 62k) and traded her for a 2 door Cutlass with bucket seats to better fit a sportier image after college. Jessica Savitch, the NBC television reporter who became one of the first women to anchor an evening network newscast, was killed late Sunday night after the car she and a companion were in drove into a canal in a rural section of Bucks County, Pa., and overturned. Makes you wonder what went on in that car before it went into the canal. Despite her lack of broadcast news experience, Savitch was hired by KHOU-TV in Houston as the station's first female reporter. The eldest daughter of David Savitch, a clothing merchant and Florence Spadoni, a registered nurse. But the public loved her, as it did in Philadelphia. Instead he bought the unfortunate 1979 blue Fairmont with butt numbing bench seat, no A/C and few options other than the 200 six and automatic. Or, I should say, the car model was incidental until your follow-up comment about limo dreams in a station wagon reality. This finally tied the car model to the life that ended inside it. When I got to know her, she was very warm, and very dedicated to her job. And his half-hearted run in 1980 showed just how much the nation didnt forget. If the Olds part is correct, and the interior picture is the car in question, I think it is a Cutlass wagon. She reportedly had anorexia and had several pregnancies that ended. [Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.]. [5], This series on childbirth began as scheduled on Monday and on Thursday, Nov. 22, 1973 Thanksgiving Day showed much of the actual birth. The bodies of Ms. Savitch and Fischbein and Ms. Savitch's Siberian Husky, Chewy, were found in a car mired in the bottom of a canal near Philadelphia. I can think of so many others: Bonnie and Clydes Ford, the last car Elizabeth Short was seen in.a Studebaker I think. Her death was tragic, and in the first reports, the circumstances seemed mystifying and unfathomable. There was no evidence to suggest alcohol or drug abuse, Dr. Rosko said, but he said that toxicological tests would not be completed for a week. Thereafter, although she was a general assignment reporter and helped to cover the 1980 Republican and Democratic conventions, she was primarily known as an anchor. Yes this may be about Jessica Savitch but its interesting how she met her endnot in a Mercedes or Beemer but a modest-by-comparison G-Body Olds. While getting drunk on beer=you have an alcohol problem. Jessica Savitch, 1947-1983. That was the front-wheel-drive A-platform, which was introduced for the 1982 model year. She also contributed to ''Prime Time Saturday'' and ''Prime Time Sunday,'' NBC news magazines. We took them on many family vacations and hauled a lot of things in their cargo areas. Cutlass was not made into its own marque aka Oldsmobile or Pontiac. . Its always sad to see one whos light shines so brightly , flame out . On Jan. 6, 1980, she married Mel Korn, a Philadelphia advertising executive. 50 Insanely Gruesome Photos Of The Human Body From Actual Autopsies. This article was taken down because I misidentified the wagon. A 1982 TV Guide poll named her the fourth most trusted news anchor in the country, above many of the most established male anchors of the period. And she wasnt the driver, either; that honor (?) She had a pet husky named Chewy the doctor hated. Nobody ever talked about her big heart, her loyalty, her sense of humor, and her fabulousness as a person. JESSICA SAVITCH OF NBC-TV KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT, https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/25/obituaries/jessica-savitch-of-nbc-tv-killed-in-car-accident.html. It really doesnt have the polish Ive come to expect at CC. An NBC spokesman said the two were engaged. [27], Jessica Savitch published her own autobiography, Anchorwoman, in 1982. I dont know that Ive ever heard such a thing. October 25, 1983. But on Sunday, Jessica had a date with the New York Posts Martin Fischbein. I would read more stories on notable figures who died in cars. On October 23, 1983, at the age of 36, she was killed in an automobile accident in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. But through all this time, her relationship with the viewing public never faltered until October 3, 1983: She said she was healing after recent plastic surgery, was tired, faint, had a glass of wine on an empty stomach there were lots of excuses. ''At last I felt that I belonged.''. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In Tennessee, liquor stores are NOT allowed to sell any kind of food. While Miss Savitch attended Ithaca College in upstate New York, she worked as a disk jockey at radio station WBBF-AM in Rochester. Her contemporary Diane Sawyer went on to have a much more durable career and homelife. The article prompted my to look her up and read her quite compelling story. I am not posting this to insult the memory of the late Ms. Savitch (whom I personally admire), however I do believe it. They drove about 600 feet over a dirt-and-gravel area, and past two warning signs. He signed out a 1982 Oldsmobile station wagon from the Posts fleet, and they headed toward Bucks County, PA with Chewy in tow. I am not personally affected by their accidents. Her report on a train derailment and fire received national exposure on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. She was a native of Kennett Square, near Philadelphia, and grew up in Margate N.J. She graduated from Ithaca College and went to work at WCBS Radio in New York in 1969. She resided in New York City. At the time KYW hired Savitch, it was under pressure from the Philadelphia chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) to place more women in then-non-traditional roles on the local news or else face a possible legal challenge to its broadcast license. Is that picture in the front seat part of one either Jessicas or Martins dead body? Required fields are marked *. Ms. Savitch documented her professional rise and personal problems in her recent autobiography, 'Anchorwoman,' and she was an outspoken advocate of women's professional rights. Before that, he had spent seven years as an assistant to labor mediator Theodore Kheel, and had been an aide to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) when the senator was an aide in the Nixon White House. She was 36. According to The Washington Post, each of her biographers interviewed over 300 people in order to write their respective books. One . Generally speaking I dont think that an intervention is revealed to the person getting one ahead of time, so the speculation that it might have contributed to the accident is unlikely. If thats an actual picture of the car involved, then the story is wrong. Miss Savitch and Fischbein drowned Oct. 26, 1983. He drove out of the wrong exit from the restaurant and up the towpath of the old Pennsylvania Canal's Delaware Division on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River. This could be a sub-category for Curb Side. Savitch and Fischbein had been dating for a few weeks. Her mother was a nurse and had to go to work to support the family. The only other death by station wagon celebrity event I know of is the 1962 death of the actor/comedian Ernie Kovacs in Los Angeles. For example, Philadelphia KYW news director Jim Topping, inspired by his and his wifes experience attending Lamaze classes, assigned Savitch to cover a five-part series on natural childbirth. Iwas privileged to know her and mourn her loss, along with friends and family, so many years later., Former KYW Co-Anchor Mort Crim, who delivered the eulogy at Savitchs funeral: Her untimely passing was a loss to me, personally, and to the world of TV journalism. She also had reported for "Prime Time Saturday," NBC News' weekly television magazine, and was a podium correspondent at the 1980 political conventions. The networks wanted her, but Westinghouse had ironclad contracts so she acted out and became a general terror to all. Oct. 25, 1983 Jessica Savitch killed in car wreck By MARIANNE LAVELLE NEW HOPE, Pa. -- NBC newscaster Jessica Savitch, whose professional triumphs and personal tragedies were documented in. This was the genesis of the Jessica Savitch Scholarships at her alma mater, Ithaca College, as well as Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania [in Savitchs native Philadelphia]. Jessica Beth Savitch (February 1, 1947 - October 23, 1983) was an American television journalist who was the weekend anchor of NBC Nightly News and daily newsreader for NBC News during the late 1970s and early 1980s. And to this day, many states and municipalities in the U.S. (particularly in the South) allow easier access to the purchase of beer and wine; liquors must be sold under a harder-to-obtain license, or in a state-owned store, if its allowed at all. Miss Savitch worked on several award- winning documentaries and special reports there, including a five-part series, ''Rape . I appreciate your work and want to encourage you to continue. As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of that day October 23 TVNewser reached out to friends, family, and colleaguesfor their memories of Jessica Savitch, who was just 36 when she died. In 1969, after receiving her bachelor's degree, she was hired as a researcher for CBS radio. Sadly, Elizabeth Vargas seems to be suffering similar problems. The suit was settled for $8 million, most of which was paid by the Post. She began to fill more roles in NBC's news programming, serving as a regular panel member on Meet The Press, contributing to the news magazine programs Prime Time Saturday and Prime Time Sunday, and contributing commentary to the NBC Radio Network. One more thing-I remember the week she died as being a big week for news; first the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, and then the Great Big Battle of Grenada. Each one of them are sources of pride and comfort to my sister and me. (Lynne, I hope we see more to come.) It *IS* a Car Story ~ a sad one to be sure but also a truthful cautionary tale . Under her latest contract, which she signed last summer, Miss Savitch was to anchor "NBC News Digest," for which she was to have reported to work yesterday, and beginning in January, the Sunday editions of "Nightly News.". Ms. Savitch, who rose to a $500,000-a-year job at NBC by the time she was 33, found her second husband, Dr. Donald Rollie Payne, hanged in the basement of their Washington home in August 1981. There are no guardrails and it was raining heavily at the time. Savitch got along well with some members of the KYW staff, including her regular location shooting crew[9] and her co-anchor Mort Crim. Since last summer, when Connie Chung took her place as the anchor on the Saturday ''Nightly News,'' she had delivered the network's weekday news updates. The A&E series Biography featured an episode about Savitch, which inspired Will Ferrell to make Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (basing the Ron Burgundy character on Savitch's friend Mort Crim). Thoughts? The settlement established the principle of equality of salary and longevity for women in television news, Arthur G. Raynes, a Philadelphia attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Miss Savitchs estate. This is a compilation of her sign-offs from NBC Nightly News and Updates from 1982 and. KHOU had also been ordered to hire a female reporter in order to avoid any legal challenge to its broadcast license based on gender discrimination. Mr. Fischbein, 34, who lived in Woodmere, N.Y., had worked for the New York Post since 1978. Ive worked with many talented people, but none who could surpass Jess for a combination of ability, sensitivity and driveAn agent for Will Farrell contacted me a few weeks ago as Anchorman II was nearing completion to remind me that Jess and I had been the inspiration for the first Anchorman movieJesswas 25 years old when we first shared an anchor desk. This would clearly indicate the post is a work in progress. Her maternal grandmother was of Italian American heritage and was Catholic. A sad story. Seems coincidental that Savitch died the very night immediately preceding the day she was scheduled to have an intervention for her spiraling out-of-control behavior. The Philadelphia area native left a highly acclaimed acting career to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco. Rosko said he could not determine the time of death, but a watch found in Fischbein's coat pocket stopped at 9:55 p.m. 'I would say both victims died within one or at most a very few minutes after the car entered the canal,' he said. 'She had overcome many difficulties in her life and now leaves behind many friends and fans all over the country,' said Tom Pettit, executive vice president of NBC. KYW refused to release her from her contract but agreed to raise her salary and (partly to satisfy NOW) make her a weeknight anchor. Istill miss her., NBCs Tom Brokaw: It was such a sad, even tragic ending, to a life that was the classic American success story. December 31, 2014 77 comments. Ms. Savitch's colleagues expressed shocked over her death. The reputation followed her to NBC. According to the window sticker mine actually came with a no charge 3.08:1 rear gear or code GU4 as a 2.73 was standard on 231 V6 wagons and sedans came with 2.41 gears. And R.I.P Oldsmobile. Biography Jessica Beth Savitch was born February 1, 1947, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. [4], Savitch's second marriage in March 1981 to Dr. Donald Payne, her gynecologist, lasted only a few months. Recently, legendary Detroit anchor Bill Bonds passed away. Her father was of Slavic Jewish heritage and her maternal grandfather was of German and Russian Jewish heritage. The career of NBC newscaster Jessica Savitch, which ended with her death yesterday in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, rivaled the most fantastic fiction in its amalgam of . Not an ad. (As a side note the correct make and model Olds[but not year] was used in the final scenes.). What would the point be for me to write about Jimmy Dean or Clay Regazzoni? Growing up, it seemed that both beer and wine were less taboo than hard liquor, and obviously, any of the above will cause intoxication. A good automotive story is a good automotive story. They resumed production of the Oldsmobile, but have not manufactured the Pontiac for several years. You suppose the reader judge by the cover of the book or title of the article? Both biographers also write that Savitch had a problem with cocaine that eventually affected her career. He died a short time later. Her success influenced numerous aspiring female newscasters to model themselves after her look and delivery. Thats good enough for me. However, other staff members found Savitch difficult, especially towards the end of her KYW contract when she was planning to leave for NBC. They called her the Golden Girl of TV news, and for good reason. Jessica, its nice to see others besides me remember her. If she were alive today, Id tell her what I should have said to her back then: that she was a good human being, a talented woman, whose fame was no accident. The dashboard is that of a Cutlass, not the full size wagon shown above. Miss Savitch, who had earned a degree in communications from Ithaca College, had been awarded an honorary doctorate by that institution. A local resident found the wreck at about 11:30 that night. There are stories on these pages that have a sadness to them. PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ The estxecutive Martin Fischbein, died when the car in which they were riding plunged into a canal during a rainstorm. Jessica Savitch, 35, an award-winning newswoman with the NBC network since 1977, drowned early yesterday after the car she was riding in plunged into the Delaware Canal in New Hope, Pa., about. Cant believe its been 31 years. If she and Fischbein had been arguing, say, about that very intervention, he could have been distracted and Savitch may have directly contributed to her own demise, Such a happy first post in the new year . A source close to the case confirmed the $8 million figure today to The Associated Press. Dad brought home a 1979 green woody wagon back in 1983 equipped with the 305 4bbl Chevy V8 and loads of equipment and we loved that car. The incident caused widespread speculation that she was abusing drugs. She was principal writer-reporter for Saturday editions of 'NBC Nightly News,' podium correspondent during the 1980 political conventions and reporter on 'Prime Time Saturday,' NBC News' weekly television magazine. I want to be constructive with my comments. CRACKED .. open..R,I,P, Your email address will not be published. This is the infamous digest of legend. The Philadelphia Daily News reported one lawyer said the New York Post, whose insurance covered the leased station wagon in which Miss Savitch died, paid $7 million of the settlement. IncidentallyI found a TV movie of her life based on her book featuring Sela Ward playng Jessica. Jessica Savitch, 35, an award-winning newswoman with the NBC network since 1977, drowned early yesterday after the car she was riding in plunged into the Delaware Canal in New Hope, Pa., about 35 miles northeast of Philadelphia. In 1976, she came to the attention of NBC executives while reporting from a presidential campaign debate between President Gerald Ford and Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter held at Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Ironically, if the car had stayed upright, they might have easily escaped. She graduated from Ithaca College in 1968. RIP Jessica ~ stylish to the end. Jessica Beth Savitch (February 1, 1947 October 23, 1983) was an American television journalist who was the weekend anchor of NBC Nightly News and daily newsreader for NBC News during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The station wagon plunged 15 feet into the mud and shallow water of the canal, landing on its roof. I'll be wearing one of her amethyst birthstone rings - a gift from her sister, Lori, whose website celebrates Savitch's . It was just applied to some other cars within Olds. Im a bit conflicted after reading this article. Savitch and Fischbein were trapped inside as water poured in. But the years flyby swiftly and she would now be 65, something I can hardly believe. September 4, 1995 Jessica Savitch lived a much too short and much too unhappy life. Last week marked the 30-year anniversary of her tragic death in a car accident at the age of 35 (Jessica Savitch Remembered). There used to be people called winos, but I guess theyre all extinct now. Interesting, chilling account. So many possibilities lost. Learn how your comment data is processed. Mary Jo Kopechne was another young woman born in Pennsylvania, who met an infamous end in an Oldsmobile under water. Radio Work as a Student, Miss Savitch was born in 1947 in Kennett Square, Pa., daughter of Florence and David Savitch. After their meal, they began to drive home about 7:15p.m., with Fischbein behind the wheel and Savitch in the back seat with her dog, Chewy. The passenger side dash vent looks like an A-body Olds, definitely not the rather unusual B/C body Olds dash vent. ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- A colleague who eulogized Jessica Savitch at a private funeral for family and friends, called the death of the NBC television newswoman 'a tremendous loss . I knew the cars are only Nebensache (sideshow) in our lives. Shortly before her death in October 1983, Savitch gave a broadcast of NBC News Digest in which her delivery was erratic and she appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. Her incoherent reporting clashes bizarrely with. Technical Audio Producer (Part-Time Contract)Bloomberg LPNew York, New York, Remembering Jessica Savitch, 30 Years After Her Death, An error has occurred, please try again later. [11], Savitch was married twice and had no children. It was a rental for a day trip to PA. People with money will rent inexpensive carsthe type of car in this instance is entirely irrelevant. Up Close and Personal was originally intended as a biographical film about Savitch. Kind of sad, but still nice to know someone else out there remembers Jessica. But he said blood and tissue samples were taken for toxology tests. Never heard of her I guess her fame was local but death by drunk driver is still common despite the warnings. . She was also assigned to anchor short NBC News updates (initially called NBC News Update, later called NBC News Capsule and NBC News Digest) that ran approximately one minute and aired between regular prime time programs each evening, drawing a high number of viewers. Investigators said Fischbein, 34, mistakenly drove the car onto the towpath thinking it was an exit. Her first marriage in 1980 to Philadelphia advertising executive Melvin "Mel" Korn ended in divorce after eleven months. By LOUIS TOSCANO. At KHOU she was hailed as the first anchorwoman in the South (although that would be contested). Drove Wrong Way. National Lampoon (magazine), the original humor magazine from 1970 to 1998-wikipedia. According to astrology, she had Aquarius as her zodiac sign. Nobody ever talked about her big heart, her loyalty, her sense of humor, and her fabulousness as a person She had this wonderful combination of credibility and a beautiful smile., Former NBC NewserFred Francis: When a big breaking story came with her about to go onair she was always totally pumped. Compared to the man, the ad was full of taste. After all picking up woman was a little tough in a station wagon at least during the 90s. Both she and Mr. Fishbein died ''within one minute to a very few minutes'' after plunging into the canal, he said. He had the two Cutlasses and the Pontiac Bonneville version. Jessica Hollifield, who used to reside in Lexington, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly. This Curbside Collaboration idea sounds pretty good for the given context. Her end came in an Oldsmobile station wagon. She also had a sister named Lori Savitch. In all the articles Ive read, it just refers to an Oldsmobile station wagon and Im not well-versed on the interiors, especially after they have been upside-down and underwater for a few hours. Walter Everett, the New Hope police chief, said that the couple had driven the wrong way out of the parking lot of a restaurant, Chez Odette, where they had gone for dinner. Miss Savitch was in the back seat and Mr. Fischbein was strapped in a seat harnass at the wheel, Everett said. She also hosted PBS's public affairs program Frontline from its January 1983 debut until her death as a passenger in an automobile accident later that year.Shortly before her death in October 1983, Savitch also became known for her performance during a broadcast of NBC News Digest in which her delivery was erratic and she appeared to be under . I wonder if she attempted to to get out of the car through the rear windows, only to discover that they dont roll down. I do remember this accident being in the news. He wouldnt have been nearly as good as a President. As a network anchor, Savitch had a charismatic presence and became very popular with network affiliates and viewers. I never saw her stumble, When the books and the movie came out [after her death], they made her out to be this troubled character. So dont click on the title link and comment then .?.. NEW HOPE, Pa. -- Television anchorwoman Jessica Savitch, whose life was marred by recent personal tragedy, was found dead Monday along with a New York Post executive in an overturned car at the . ''The mud was knee-deep on the bottom,'' said Mario Lasarro, a member of the Lambertville, N. J., rescue squad that went to the scene on rural River Road. [24] According to the New Hope police chief, a similar death had occurred at the same spot some years before. Whether the car landed upside down or right side up, the thick mud made opening ANY door/tailgate pretty much impossible. All the cars I ever had from Olds were decent and reliable, except the last one.
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