Fox News anchor Bret Baier and his family were involved a car accident while vacationing in Montana on Monday.
Baier, 48, who has a wife and two sons, released a statement on Monday night to describe the accident and to thank those who helped him and his family get to the hospital quickly. Baier was expected to be back on the air Tuesday evening.{mosads}
“After a weekend of skiing with my wife and two boys in Montana, driving to the airport Monday morning on icy roads, we were involved in a major car crash,” Baier said. “Thanks to a man driving by named Zach who stopped and helped, we were able to climb out of the flipped car. And thanks to the first responders and Montana Highway Patrol — we made it to the hospital quickly. We are very grateful to all of those who helped us out.
“My advice to everyone is to always wear your seatbelt and to count your blessings everyday. I tweeted this out as we left the hospital banged up, but alive,” he continued. “Don’t take anything for granted — every day is a blessing and family is everything. It’s always good to remind yourself of that before something does it for you.”
The Montana Department of Justice told The Hill that “road conditions were incredibly icy and it was snowing at the time of the crash.” A photo of the scene provided by the department shows snowy conditions in the area as authorities responded to the crash.
“As Mr. Baier’s vehicle approached the intersection, he attempted to stop but was unable to do so because of the icy conditions,” the statement said. “His vehicle continued into the intersection and was hit on the driver side by another vehicle. As a result, Mr. Baier’s vehicle was pushed off the road and overturned in the ditch, landing on its driver side.”
“Three passengers in Mr. Baier’s vehicle and one passenger in the other vehicle were transported from the scene for suspected minor injuries. No citations were issued. No alcohol or drug use is suspected on the part of either driver,” the statement added.
Baier was scheduled to be a guest on CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Tuesday. The host noted that Baier would not be able to make the appearance due to the accident.
“We just found out that he and his family were in a car accident in Montana,” Colbert said. “Bad, like, jaws of life to get him out of there.”
“They’re all in the hospital but they’re going to be OK,” he continued. “And we just want to say: We hope you’re doing better.”
“Bret’s message to everyone out there is: They’re going to be OK, thank you for your thoughts and prayers for him and his family, and please, wear your seatbelt,” Colbert added. “It makes a difference.”
Earlier this month, Baier signed a new multi-year deal with Fox News.
The New Jersey native began his career in Fox News Channel’s Atlanta bureau in 1998. He began anchoring “Special Report” 10 years ago, taking over for longtime anchor Brit Hume.
Updated at 6:40 p.m.