A television news reporter in West Virginia was struck by a car while doing a live shot and continued to report, showing the risks journalists face when they are out in the field alone.
WSAZ-TV reporter Tori Yorgey was hit by an SUV during her live report from the scene of a water main break.
“Oh my god, oh my god, I just got hit by a car, but I’m okay. I’m okay Tim,” she told anchor Tim Irr as she got up from the ground and continued reporting.
“Well, that’s a first for you on TV, Tori,” Irr told her.
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“That’s live TV for you. It’s all good,” Yorgey said as she appeared unfazed by the incident. “I actually got hit by a car in college, too, just like that. I am so glad I’m okay.”
“We’re all good. You know what, it’s a one-woman band,” she says as she adjusts the camera which tipped over.
The woman driving the car asked if she was okay, to which Yorgey responded, “Ma’am, you are so sweet.”
Irr asked if she was okay once again and Yorgey gave more details about how it was her last week on the job and “I think this would happen.”
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Irr then asked her where she was hit. “I don’t even know Tim, my whole life just flashed before my eyes. But this is live TV, and everything is okay. I thought I was in a safe spot but clearly we might need to move the camera over a bit,” she said as she picked up the camera and moved it to another spot.
Social media users praised Yorgey’s grit and composure but also saw it as a sign that television stations need to protect their journalists more and not send them out on stories alone.
Anchor @TiffanyAlaniz tweeted, “How HORRIBLE for her!!! She’s MMJing, running her own live shot, and somehow keeping it together. WHY didn’t the director get her shot down so she didn’t have to ‘be ok??!!’ Tori, you’re a bad— and I hope you get checked out to make sure you’re ok!!”
@michellehindmon tweeted: “My heart goes out to this reporter. I hope she really is okay. Solo live shots are not safe for multiple reasons. I am thankful I never had to do them at any of the stations I worked at during my career.”
Some other social media users questioned the lack of empathy on air from Irr.
He tweeted back to a social media user who asked if he was “dead inside” and wrote: “Actually, I don’t have full view of a monitor… only audio. After hearing Tori say she’d been hit, I wanted to make sure she was indeed ok. That’s why I kept asking.”
As for Yorgey, she will begin working as a reporter for ABC affiliate WTAE in Pittsburgh on Feb. 1.
Watch the video below of the shocking scene on air:
"We're good, Tim." pic.twitter.com/9kn2YElDLK
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 20, 2022
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