News reporting can be a dangerous business, especially for journalists who report live from a scene not inside of a studio. Whether it’s weathermen during a hurricane or reporters getting harassed for doing their job, live TV can be a harrowing experience. One local reporter in West Virginia found herself in a scary situation while reporting on a burst water main during a weather emergency. WSAZ's Tori Yorgey was hit by a car in the midst of a live segment, but still kept the communication going with the studio anchor, getting right back up and handling the situation like a champ.
The West Virginia reporter was live on the scene of a water main break that was apparently caused by the freezing weather. As Tori Yorgey was getting into the flow of her report, a driver who was navigating around the emergency vehicles seemingly didn’t see the journalist, and turned their vehicle directly into Yorgey, knocking her to the ground. With some nervous laughter, she immediately updated her unaware colleague Tim Irr in the studio, as well as the viewing audience who watched it happen, that she’d been hit by a car, but was otherwise okay. Check out the moment from the live broadcast below.
"We're good, Tim." pic.twitter.com/9kn2YElDLKJanuary 20, 2022
The car wasn’t going very fast when it hit Tori Yorgey, thank goodness, but it did look like a direct hit that knocked the reporter to the ground. She tried to laugh off the situation to convince everyone she was okay, saying she’d been hit by a car before (what?!), and joking that of course this would happen on her last week on the job. Wow, what a sendoff!
The local journalist was filming her segment on a tripod, rather than with a physical cameraman, so there was no one there to warn her about the oncoming vehicle — not that there was much time for anyone to react anyway. It seemed like other people on the scene were checking on her condition, though, as onlookers could be heard asking if she was all right as she picked up the tripod and gamely continued the broadcast.
That must have been a scary moment for Tim Irr in the studio as well, who tweeted that he only had audio of the incident and couldn't see what had happened. He matched her tone in trying to keep it light, commenting that, “This was a first for you on TV, Tori.” It was clear that he was concerned about her, though, and he asked where she was hit and wanted to make sure she was really okay.
I’m sure Tori Yorgey was in a state of shock, as she said her whole life flashed before her eyes. Props to her for maintaining her composure throughout that situation. Nobody would have expected her to laugh it off and remain so professional after being hit by a car. That the interruption happened on live TV could add a whole level of embarrassment to the situation, and lesser people (speaking about myself here) might have dissolved into tears of hysteria.
Local news broadcasts have provided some wild clips over the years, including amusingly faked re-enactments and some really trippy moments, but this one was pretty scary. We’re glad Tori Yorgey appeared to be okay, and hopefully she continues to have a smooth recovery.
