TV viewers in West Virginia got an unexpected scare during the news on Wednesday evening when a car struck a reporter during a live shot.
Tori Yorgey of WSAZ, the NBC affiliate in Huntington, was speaking with anchor Tim Irr about the weather ― including wet roads and a water main break ― when the car hit her.
It looked bad, but she bounced right back up.
“I just got hit by a car, but I’m OK,” Yorgey told Irr. “I just got hit by a car, but I’m OK, Tim.”
“Well, that’s a first for you on TV, Tori,” he said.
Irr later took to Twitter to explain that his puzzling response was due to the fact that he hadn’t seen what happened and was relying on audio alone.
“That’s live TV for you,” Yorgey said. “It’s all good.”
Then, the conversation became even stranger. Turns out, it wasn’t the first time Yorgey has been hit by a car:
Yorgey appears to have been working solo, handling everything for the live segment, including fixing the camera after it was knocked down during the accident. She did all this while still speaking to Irr.
Yorgey also praised the driver who hit her.
“That woman was so nice,” Yorgey said. “She didn’t mean to, it was an accident, I know it was, and I’m OK, everything’s fine.”
Then, she finished her live shot with her pre-planned report about the weather situation.
According to Irr, Yorgey was sent to the ER to get checked out just the same.
“Frightening moment for Tori,” he wrote. “She’s young, but is a pro for sure.”
As Yorgey mentioned during the segment, it was her last week on the job in West Virginia. She’ll be joining ABC affiliate WTAE in Pittsburgh starting Feb. 1.
