Ray Hartmann, 73, a respected St. Louis journalist, died April 23 after two tires detached from a Volvo semi, became airborne and pierced the roof of his Chevrolet Bolt on Interstate 64. He was taken to Mercy Hospital St. Louis and pronounced dead shortly after the collision. The 64-year-old Volvo driver remained at the scene and has not been publicly identified. Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times, helped launch Donnybrook on Nine PBS, revived St. Louis Magazine and is survived by his wife Kerri and two children.
Ray Hartmann, 73, Killed When Two Truck Tires Penetrated His Car Roof on I‑64
Ray HartmannCredit: X
Ray Hartmann, a longtime St. Louis journalist and media figure, died on April 23 after two tires detached from a semi-truck and struck the roof of his Chevrolet Bolt on Interstate 64 in west St. Louis County.
Crash Details
According to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP), the Volvo VNL lost two left-side road unit tires at about 2:00 p.m. The tires became airborne, penetrated the Bolt's roof and struck the driver. Emergency crews from West County EMS and Fire transported Hartmann to Mercy Hospital St. Louis, where he was pronounced dead at 2:05 p.m.
Ray HartmannCredit: X
The driver of the Volvo, reported to be a 64-year-old man, remained at the scene and has not been publicly identified as authorities continue their investigation.
Who Was Ray Hartmann?
Hartmann, 73, was a prominent voice in St. Louis journalism. He founded the alternative weekly Riverfront Times in 1977, co-founded the debate program Donnybrook on Nine PBS a decade later, and revived St. Louis Magazine in 1998. He sold Riverfront Times to Phoenix's New Times, returned to RFT as a freelance columnist in 2018, and retired from journalism in 2024.
A 73-year-old man was killed in a collision on Interstate 64 near Interstate 270 in Missouri on April 23Credit: First Alert 4
In a statement to Fox 2, longtime friend and attorney Andy Leonard identified Hartmann and thanked responding officers and the Mercy Hospital staff for their care and communication.
Nine PBS released a statement calling Hartmann "a cornerstone of St. Louis journalism and a foundational voice of Donnybrook," and extended condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
Family and Ongoing Investigation
Hartmann is survived by his wife, Kerri, and two children, Ben and Brielle. The Missouri State Highway Patrol and local authorities are reviewing the circumstances of the tire failure and the fatal collision; further details have not yet been released.
People and local outlets have contacted MSHP and Hartmann's representatives for additional comment.
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