Pennsylvania News Anchor Emily Matson Dead at 42
Emily Matson
Emily Matson, a popular news anchor for a local broadcast outlet in Erie, Pennsylvania, has tragically died. She was 42.
Matson worked as an anchor for Erie News Now for 17 years prior to her untimely death, which the outlet's parent company, Lilly Broadcasting, confirmed in a statement released on Monday, Dec. 11.
"It is with a very heavy heart that we have learned of the passing of our beloved Erie News Now news anchor Emily Matson," the statement read. "Emily was a shining light in our newsroom, delivering news with a passion and love she had for the Erie community and Northwest Pennsylvania."
"We loved Emily dearly and our hearts go out to the Matson family and her husband Ryan at this time," the message concluded.
As for the cause of death, news outlets, including Distractify and The Thaiger, have reported that Matson died in a train accident. Local publication Erie Times-News reported the news of a woman killed early Monday morning after being hit by a train in Fairview Township, but the woman's identity was not confirmed as Matson's at the time. TMZ has since reported that Erie County Coroner's Office has already investigated the incident, and are said to have determined the cause of her death as suicide.
Following the news of her death, Matson's colleagues at the Erie news station have been speaking out to express their shock and grief over the situation.
News anchor Christyn Allen, who previously worked with Matson at Erie News Now, shared a heartbreaking post to Instagram on Monday, calling her late former colleague, "a voice of reason, the brightest light, an insanely hard worker, a goofball and your biggest cheerleader."
"She was a fiercely loyal friend, and if you were lucky enough to be one of her people, you'd hit the jackpot," Allen wrote in part, while sharing a series of photos and videos of her late friend.
Jamison Hixenbaugh, who worked with Maton on-and-off for the past 15 years, shared a lengthy tribute on Facebook, calling Matson's passing "utterly devastating."
"From being side-spittingly funny and fiesty, to thoughtful and caring...I'm going to miss you Em," he added in part.
