Former Bureau Chief of Dallas Morning News Dies in a Texas Car Crash
A two-car accident took the life of senior political writer and retired Dallas Morning News Bureau Chief Wayne Slater in Williamson County, Monday.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety's Sgt. Deon Cockrell, the accident happened at around 10:33 in the morning at Chris Lane near Florence and FM 478, Dallas Morning News reported.
Wayne Slater Dead on the Scene After Fatal Crash
Slater, 74, was known for having chronicled the rise to national prominence of two Texas governors. He also co-wrote two books about Karl Rove, adviser to George W. Bush.
In a statement released by Cockrell on Monday night, he mentioned that the former reporter swerved into an oncoming Ford F-150 pickup truck while driving alone in his Mazda CX-3 subcompact SUV. In addition, it was stated that the pick-up driver tried to evade Slater's car to no success.
Slater was pronounced dead at the scene while the other driver was immediately taken to a local hospital to be treated. The pick-up driver only suffered from minor injuries, NBC reported.
Wayne Slater's Journalism and Political Career
Slater joined Dallas Morning News in 1985 as its bureau chief in Austin after spending 10 years as a reporter for the Associated Press. He then retired from the paper in 2014.
The books that Slater co-authored with James Moore on Bush adviser Karl Rove were titled "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential" and "The Architect: Karl Rove and the Dream of Absolute Power," published in 2003 and 2007, respectively.
The late journalist was also widely known for his stories on the gubernatorial and presidential campaigns of Bush, The New York Post reported.
In a statement on Monday, the 43rd president of the United States honored Slater and said that the reporter understood Texas politics better than most people.
"Wayne Slater was a hard-working and insightful reporter," Bush stated.
During his stint at Dallas Morning News, Slater was notorious for his tough but fair coverage of the Bush's and Ann Richard's tenure as governors of Texas.
Meanwhile, after he retired from the Morning News, Slater worked at the University of Texas at Austin as an adjunct professor of public affairs. As a professor, he focused on religion and politics.
Aside from the aforementioned, Slate also made appearances on national media programs including "Meet the Press" of NBC.
Slater's colleague and former Dallas Morning News reported Christy Hope described him as a "whirling dervish of a man." She also added that he brought energy into his writing and his works. She also admired his great instinct for news and his keen eye for getting around corners when everyone else was looking ahead.
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Jess Smith
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