Authorities say 73-year-old Ray Hartmann was killed Thursday afternoon when two massive tires suddenly flew off a passing semi-truck and crashed straight through the roof of his car.
The shocking incident unfolded around 2 p.m. on April 23 along Interstate 64 in west St. Louis County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a Volvo VNL traveling nearby lost two tires from its left side. Those tires didn’t just fall — they went airborne.
In a horrifying sequence of events, the tires slammed into Hartmann’s Chevrolet Bolt, tearing through the roof and striking him inside the vehicle.
Emergency crews rushed Hartmann to Mercy Hospital St. Louis, but despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead just minutes later at 2:05 p.m.
The sudden loss has left family, friends, and the local journalism community reeling.
Hartmann’s longtime friend and attorney, Andy Leonard, confirmed the heartbreaking news and shared that Hartmann’s wife, Kerri, was by his side at the hospital.
“His wife, Kerri Hartmann, and I were at Mercy Hospital when the doctors explained that he did not respond to their efforts,” Leonard said. “We’d like to thank the police officers who came to the scene and the doctors and staff at Mercy Hospital, who were informative and kind.”
Hartmann is survived by his wife and their two children, Ben and Brielle, who were reportedly on their way home from college at the time of the tragedy. The family has asked for privacy as they process the loss.
The driver of the semi-truck, a 64-year-old man, remained at the scene and has not been publicly identified. No charges have been announced as the investigation continues.
Beyond the shocking nature of his death, Hartmann’s legacy looms large in St. Louis. He founded the Riverfront Times in 1977 and later co-founded the long-running public affairs show Donnybrook on Nine PBS, becoming a familiar and outspoken voice in local media for decades.
He also revived St. Louis Magazine in the late 1990s and continued contributing to journalism well into recent years, officially retiring in 2024.
Nine PBS released a statement mourning his loss, calling him “a cornerstone of St. Louis journalism” and praising his decades of sharp, spirited commentary.
“For nearly four decades, Ray was at the Donnybrook roundtable, rarely missing a week,” the statement read. “His impact on our region and our work will stay with us always.”
Sad, losing a wheel can usually be the fault of a bad install, but losing 2 at the same time, WHAT BROKE ?
Quite probably a mechanical failure, not a mechanics mistake.