Regional press news – this story published 17.6.2000

Reporter killed in car crash
by HoldTheFrontPage staff

Bournemouth Daily Echo sports reporter Jon Andress has been killed in a head-on car smash on his way home from a golfing assignment in Devon.

He was returning to Bournemouth from the English County Championships qualifier when the accident happened on the A361 near Tiverton on Wednesday evening.

Emergency services were quickly at the scene but Jon was pronounced dead at the roadside.

Three people in the second vehicle involved were taken to North Devon Hospital at Barnstaple.

Police believe the crash happened when the driver of a Vauxhall Vectra hire car, who was visiting Britain from Germany, attempted to overtake a vehicle in front and collided with Jon’s Alfa Romeo.

Tributes to the popular 28-year-old reporter were paid by friends and colleagues.

Editor Neal Butterworth said: “There is no doubt that Jon was at the start of a very promising career as a sports writer.

“His love of sport and wide-ranging knowledge were an asset to the Echo and the local sporting scene.”

Sports editor Andy Goodall said: “There are no words that can express our feelings at a time like this. Nothing can prepare you for such a loss.

“Jon was a well-respected member of the sports desk and will quite simply be irreplaceable.”

General Manager Mike Denny said: “This is an absolute tragedy. Jon was a popular guy who was liked and respected right through the Echo building.

“You only need to see the devastating impact this has had on his close colleagues to realise how popular he was. Everyone connected with the Daily Echo and local sport will miss him.”

Zach Waters, secretary of Winton Cricket Club, where Jon played, told the Daily Echo: “When Jon first picked up a cricket bat in 1996 we had no team, no money and no home ground.

“His energy and enthusiasm and ‘more than a few runs’ remain a significant contribution to the development of the club. He was one of those inspirational and gifted people who managed to combine his passion with his profession, commanding universal respect.”

Close friend Dave Sax, added: “He was a warm, kind, humble man who had just started to make his mark in his chosen career, which he loved. So many friends will miss him.”

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