The death of a Savannah-based television anchor left many journalists at a loss for words but overwhelmed with emotion Sunday.
Don Logana, an investigative reporter and morning anchor at WTOC-TV in Savannah, was killed in a car crash about 4 a.m.
The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Team was investigating on the South Carolina side of the Talmadge Bridge, where police told the Savannah Morning News that a blue pick-up truck and a red four-door vehicle were involved in a head-on crash.
The news broke just hours after Logana reported on another tragic death, of a master firefighter who died shortly after rescuing people in the Savannah River. About 50 people had fallen in the water when a loading dock collapsed.
Before WTOC 11, Logana began his career in his hometown of Syracuse, New York, at WIXT-TV. He started as an intern and rose to the ranks of producer and reporter before moving to Watertown, New York, to become reporter and anchor at WWTI-TV.
Logana had worked at WTOC for more than a decade and started anchoring the morning news with Cyreia Sandlin after Mike Manhatton lost his battle with cancer in 2014. Sandlin said she first met Logana when she started at the television station about five years ago.
“I was fresh out of college and a thousand miles away from home,” Sandlin said. “I didn't know a soul in Savannah.”
But their desks were next to each other in the newsroom, Sandlin said, and their shared sense of humor made them close friends quickly.
She said they lived a few blocks from each other and spoke several times a day outside of work, including Saturday night.
“He was without a doubt the closest person to me in Savannah,” Sandlin said.
That friendship translated into on-air personality and a chemistry Sandlin said she is sure she won’t find with any other person.
“We have so many memories together outside of work,” Sandlin said. “He is an icon in this city. Our newsroom will never be the same. I will never be the same.”
Retired anchor Sonny Dixon described Logana as tireless and dedicated to building up his community as an active participant who raised money for multiple sclerosis and other causes.
He gave his all to "Dancing with Savannah Stars" a few years back, raising the most money for Court Appointed Special Advocates - for abused and neglected children, Dixon said.
Dixon, who retired as lead anchor after 18 years, said he didn’t think he could speak by phone about his loss just yet.
WTOC 11 News Director Scott Galloway said the newsroom has taken a terrible hit.
“Don was a great guy and such a big part of WTOC and our newsroom family, his loss has left us with a huge void that will be tough to fill,” Galloway said.
Logana received multiple awards and honors, the station said in a news release.
“Most recently, Don was voted Best Local TV News Anchor 2016 by Connect Savannah,” the release said.
Logana also spoke on a panel in 2015 at the ceremony of the inaugural Larry Peterson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism, hosted by the Society of Professional Journalists.
"SPJ was lucky to have Don Logana," Assistant Regional Director Sharon Dunten said. “We loved his wit and cheery outlook on life. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time."
Georgia State University student Ciara Frisbie, who spoke on the panel with Logana, said she was utterly shocked when she heard what happened Sunday morning.
“Growing up in the ‘Lowcountry’ and seeing him on WTOC every day, it was an amazing experience for me to finally meet and speak on a panel with him last year at the first Larry Peterson awards,” Frisbie said. “His contributions to the journalism field and his community will never be forgotten. My heart goes out to his family and the WTOC news station during this time.”
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