Haven Hughes, a 22-year-old reporter for KARK in Little Rock, Ark., died Monday after getting into a motorcycle accident.
On Tuesday, the station announced that producer Chris Scott died earlier that day after a severe illness.
Hughes was a recent graduate of Henderson State University who had just started at the NBC affiliate in August.
The station said Hughes was a passenger on a motorcycle when there was a collision. The incident is being reviewed by authorities.
Haven Hughes
“Her smile was bright and always backed up with an energetic and positive approach to life,” wrote the station. “She understood the responsibility of telling other people’s stories and was thrilled with being able to do it here in her home state, in her hometown and among family and friends,” and added. “Haven, we love you, we will miss you and we are all better for having had the chance to know you.”
Chris Scott started his career in sports and later transitioned into news. He was 46.
The station said Scott was “soft-spoken but fun to talk with, and he always seemed to get a joke at a deeper level than most. He worked closely with our reporters, videographers and production staff, as well as everyone in front of the camera.”
“We send our sincere condolences to his mom Cindy, his sister Robin and his entire family,” said the station. “We are praying for your strength and courage, and make no mistake, we will miss him dearly”
Steven Sullivan, a former colleague at KATV in Little Rock, wrote that Scott was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a young man and remembered “seeing him battle this disease for the next 20 years.”
“I know there were many days that Chris didn’t feel well, but he was always the same. Complaining just wasn’t in his DNA,” said Sullivan. “He was always willing to help.”