Beloved sports journalist Wes Rucker died in a car crash in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Thursday, February 19. He was 43 years old.
The accident happened on I-40 near Cedar Bluff, a neighborhood in Knoxville. Rucker was the only fatality.
Rucker’s father-in-law, David Goldberg, confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“This is so very sad,” Goldberg wrote. “My son-in-law Wes Rucker married to my daughter Lauren was tragically killed in a car accident several hours ago.”
He added, “We are heartbroken. Lauren is expecting their 2nd child. We will miss him. Very sad.”
Wes, who was well-known for his coverage of University of Tennessee athletics, and his wife, Lauren, share a son named Hank.
The day he died, Wes gave a message about the power of “transparency” on his “10 at 3 With Wes Rucker” show.
“I’m just trying to be the example you want to set in the world,” Wes said. “Do not be a hypocrite. My parents did not raise hypocrites. We don’t abide by that. We don’t tolerate it.”
The clip was shared on social media by sports reporter Austin Stanley, who said it came from “roughly an hour” before Wes was killed in the crash.
A GoFundMe page was arranged by Wes’ sister, Molly, in an effort to help Lauren, Hank and the couple’s unborn baby.
“Words cannot fully express the pain our family is experiencing,” Molly wrote. “Wes was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and so much more whose greatest joy in life was family — especially his pride and joys — his wife Lauren, Hank, and precious baby girl on the way.”
The page continued, “In a tragic instant, our family has faced an unimaginable loss. As the family navigates this devastating loss, we are hearing from those in a social community that he loved so dearly a desire to support. Coming together to ensure that Lauren and his children are supported, cared for, and surrounded by stability in the years to come.”
At the time of this article’s publication, the GoFundMe had already raised over $340,000.
University of Tennessee head basketball coach Rick Barnes opened his press conference with an emotional message about Wes and his legacy on Friday, February 20.
“We lost a friend and a colleague yesterday,” Barnes, 71, said. “It’s heartbreaking, it really is. It’s heartbreaking. Our hearts and prayers go out to Lauren, his son, Hank, and the one that’s on the way. We just ask that God will place a holy hedge of protection around his entire family.”
Barnes continued, “Wes was a wonderful person. A wonderful guy. He covered athletics here for a quarter of a century. He was such a part of the UT family and the sports family here in Knoxville. Say a prayer for Wes’ family. I know that we’re going to miss him dearly. He loved what he did. He loved his family. I’m just thankful that God allowed him to be a part of my life for the last 11 years.”
