Tuesday, September 15 was a very sad day that no one at NBC4 Los Angeles will ever forget. Two of their esteemed colleagues were killed when their news helicopter crashed. They were covering a serious bus accident. Reporter Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marciniw both tragically perished when the chopper plummeted to the ground. The lethal accident took place in Chatsworth, which is about 25 miles from Los Angeles, per People. "A third person, who was on the ground, has also died, while two more have been taken to the hospital," according to the outlet.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A Pair of NBC4 Anchors Confirmed the Deaths of Moreno and Marciniw
It was the heartrending responsibility of anchors Carolyn Johnson and Colleen Williams to break the word to the public of their co-workers' shocking fatal crash. "We're coming on the air with heavy hearts tonight because we lost valued friends and colleagues just before 7 p.m.," they mentioned.
Carolyn Johnson added some details. "They began flying together in 2023. George and Eliana often flew together, and you probably recall she often referred to him when they were covering stories together."
They Were Gathering Information About the Horrific Crash Back at the Station
Colleen Williams, per the outlet, had been first to announce that the downed news copter was indeed NBC4's. "We've been piecing it together here. We knew it was a news chopper. We knew we'd lost contact with our people out there. And we've just received the confirmation."
It must have been incredibly hard to remain poised and professional in light of such a terrible development. Williams noted somberly, "We're going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, to process and to regroup."
California Governor Gavin Newsom Issued a Statement
Newsom took to
Facebook to make a short statement about the awful incidents that happened involving the bus and copter. "Our hearts are with the victims and families of tonight's devastating Metro bus and helicopter crashes in Chatsworth, and with the entire NBC4 family. Thank you to the first responders working tirelessly tonight."Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Also Spoke Out
She voiced her feelings about the two tragedies in her California city on X. "This is a tragic night for Los Angeles. My thoughts are with those impacted by the bus collision and the helicopter crash, and with the entire NBC4 family who lost members of their team while they were doing their jobs." Bass also expressed her gratitude to all the first responders at both scenes.
She added that the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) would be investigating.
