A high school sports reporter for the Lovell Chronicle passed away Wednesday morning due to injuries sustained in a car accident. Sam Smith and his wife Natalee were both involved in a serious car crash coming out of Casper on Sunday, February 25. Smith had been in Casper to cover the state wrestling tournament.

In a Facebook post, the Lovell Chronicle said both Sam and Natalee were transported to the Wyoming Medical Center following the crash. Sam was taken into surgery to relieve fluid from a brain bleed. Family members told the Lovell Chronicle that Sam had suffered a head fracture and related injuries. He passed away from those injuries at 11:41 Wednesday morning.

Natalee was also treated for a head injury, however she did survive the accident. Family members were hopeful that she would be discharged form the hospital earlier this week.

“Sam has been full of excitement throughout the weekend about the successes of our local wrestlers, as he is for all of the kids he covers,” said the Lovell Chronical. “We are heartbroken here at the Chronicle. He was like a son and a brother to us…. His loss is difficult to comprehend because his heart was pure and his love for our student athletes tremendous. Thank you to everyone, on behalf of Sam and Natalee and our Chronical family, for reaching out to us and for your prayers.”

In addition to his reporter duties with the Lovell Chronicle, Sam was the announcer for Lovell High School sports on NFHS video broadcasts. He worked with SVI Media on a handful of occasions, appearing as a guest on sports shows and at times as an announcer on the SVI Sports Network.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help cover the medical expenses incurred for both Sam and Natalee. The GoFundMe page can be found by clicking here.