Longtime St. Louis journalist Ray Hartmann passed away last week following a freak accident on a Missouri highway. He was 73 years old.
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According to multiple reports, Hartmann was traveling on Interstate 64 at approximately 2 p.m. when two tires came off a tractor-trailer and crashed through the roof of his vehicle. The journalist, who spent the majority of his career on Nine PBS’ Donnybrook, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Andy Leonard, Hartmann’s friend and attorney, released a statement confirming the journalist’s passing.
“Raymond Phillip Hartmann died yesterday around 2 p.m. as the result of a motor vehicle accident on Route 64 near 270. The news covered the accident last night, and I can confirm that Ray was in his car when a tire crashed through his windshield. We believe that he died at the scene.”
He further shared, “His wife, Kerri Hartmann, and I were at Mercy Hospital when the doctors explained that he did not respond to their efforts. 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. Ray is survived by Kerri, his son Ben, and daughter Brielle, who are on their way home from college. The family asks you to respect their privacy at this time.”
Before his time on Nine PBS, Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1976. He relaunched St. Louis Magazine in 1994, serving as CEO and Owner for more than 20 years.
He went on to join KTRS in 2019 and hosted St. Louis In the Know With Ray Hartmann.
In 2024, he stepped away from both KTRS and Donnybrook to run for Missouri’s 2nd congressional district. Although he won the Democratic primaries, he lost to the Republican incumbent Ann Wagner.
Hartmann’s Wife and ‘Donnybrook’ Colleagues Break Their Silence
In a statement, Hartmann’s wife, Kerri, shared, “It’s such a tragic loss. He was dearly loved. We’re going to miss him so much.”
Charlie Brennan, a longtime friend and Donnybrook host, also released a statement about Hartmann’s passing. “He launched this program, this weekly roundtable discussion show, which is still on the air today. That’s a tremendous legacy. And he wasn’t even a broadcaster.”
“He was a great writer. A publisher of an alternative newspaper that skewered the powerful, called the Riverfront Times,” Brennan continued. “And then, of course, he was the publisher of St. Louis Magazine. He did so many great things.”
Brennan went on to add, “His departure was too soon. I think he had books to write, columns to write, causes to champion, and I’m very sorry that he’s not going to be around to get to those.”