Kathy Berman, Wife Of ESPN Broadcaster Chris Berman, Killed In Car Crash In Connecticut

Kathy Berman, wife of long-time ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, died in a car accident in Connecticut on Tuesday afternoon, the sports network’s president John Skipper confirmed Wednesday.

According to the Connecticut State Police, Kathy, 67, was driving a Lexus on a rural road in Woodbury, Connecticut, around 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday, when her car collided with a Ford Escape, which she rear-ended. The collision caused both the cars to veer off the road and the Lexus overturned into a body of water. The Ford Escape struck a utility pole and landed on its roof in the street. The Escape’s driver, identified by the police as 87-year-old Edward Bertulis, also died in the crash as a result of severe injuries.

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Berman wore a seat belt but that could not save her and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her May 9 death came just one day after her husband’s 62nd birthday.

“This is a devastating tragedy and difficult to comprehend,” ESPN president John Skipper said in a statement after the incident.

“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,” Skipper added.

Chris and Kathy had been married since 1983 and have two children together — Doug and Meredith.

According to Time, a 1993 profile of the family appeared in the Hartford Courant, which said Chris met his wife, then Kathy Alexinski, in 1983 by faking a car trouble so he could to talk to her in order to ask for help.

Chris, who turned 62 on Wednesday, started working at ESPN in October 1979, a month after the network was founded. He is a Brown University graduate, who has been the face of ESPN's NFL coverage the last few decades. Chris recently stepped down from his NFL role, but still remains with the company.

Berman has long been connected to the Buffalo Bills with his often repeated catch phrase, "Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills." He is also a regular guest at Jim Kelly's annual charity golf tournament in Western New York. On Wednesday, after the news of Kathy's death, the Bills also released a statement offering their condolences for Chris and his family.

"Chris Berman has been a friend of the Buffalo Bills for many years and we are all heartbroken to learn of the passing of his wife, Kathy. Today more than ever, we will circle the wagons for Boomer and his family."

Following Kathy’s death, several NFL teams, other than the Bills, also sent their support and offered condolences to Berman and his family. The Broncos, Redskins, Jets, Saints, Texans, Ravens, The Steelers, Buccaneers and Chargers were among some of them.