CBS 2 Chicago News Anchor Randy Salerno Dies at 45 in Snowmobiling Accident

CBS 2 Chicago's prominent and young anchor Randy Salerno, 45, has died in a tragic and sudden snowmobiling accident. The news station reported the tragic news this past Friday morning.

The accident happened this past Thursday night near Eagle River, Wisconsin, in the northern part of the state. Salerno was reportedly riding on the back of a friend's snowmobile when suddenly the two passengers slid off the marked trail and struck a tree at a high speed. Randy Salerno's friend was thrown from the snowmobile on the first moment of impact, while Salerno himself completely struck the tree.

Both Salerno and his friend were seriously injured. Although his friend was flown to a nearby hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin, Randy Salerno was pronounced dead at the scene after police arrived at 11:30 PM and failed to revive him.

The crash itself is still under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the police department, the coroner's office, and the county DA.

Randy Salerno's life was completely dedicated to delivering the highest quality news to millions of viewers across the Chicagoland area. He worked for CBS 2 Chicago and WGN Channel 9 before that. Also won a local Emmy for a broadcast on the Chicago Marathon.

He is survived by his wife, Irene Salerno, and their three young children.

As a Chicagoan myself, I fondly remember meeting Salerno at the Chicago Marathon back in 2002. He had a bright personality and was someone many people looked up to. He never hesitated to say hello to fans of the station and always delivered vibrant new stories to the City of Chicago. There was no doubt in my mind that the man that shook my hand would go places in his career. The entire City's prayers are with Salerno's family.