Erika Summers, a reporter with Omaha’s KMTV, is recovering from serious injuries suffered in a car crash that occurred last week as she was traveling to cover a story.
Summers, 27, was the passenger in a Jeep Liberty driven by KMTV’s chief photojournalist, Richard Watson, when the vehicle collided with a tractor on an Iowa highway, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
Summers and Watson were on their way to Essex, IA as part of a story on a local soldier that had recently died in Afghanistan.
Summers, who was wearing a seat-belt according to police reports, suffered a broken wrist and glass in an eye, among other injuries. Watson reportedly escaped without major injuries.
KMTV news director Al Carl says that Summers specializes in covering stories of tragedy and injury, the type of story similar to what she is now personally experiencing.
“Her real strength is [to] hold the hand and get the story and understand the human toll of what happens in our community,” Carl told the World-Herald. “She’ll bounce back. We’re very confident.”