Even a car crash did not stop Lloyd Robertson from doing what he did best.
Robertson, who died on Tuesday at the age of 92, spent 35 years as chief anchor of CTV National News, covering everything from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
He retired in 2011 but in 2018 he made a brief return to the airwaves, joining CP24 for a live hit as he took viewers through the multi-vehicle crash on the Don Valley Parkway that he was involved in.
Robertson was on his way to CP24’s then home at 299 Queen St. to bid CP24 Breakfast host Steve Anthony goodbye during his final show. However, Robertson was struck by a vehicle as he was driving in the southbound lanes of the DVP at around 6:30 a.m.
He did not sustain any physical injuries and even recounted to viewers what happened when CP24 caught up with him shortly after.
Robertson, like the master storyteller he was, described the incident in great detail live on CP24 Breakfast.
“I was travelling south on the Don Valley Parkway between Eglinton and Don Mills, and I was coming along about 100 (km/h), no more, and Bang! I spun out, and I spun out because I was hit right here,” Robertson reported, pointing to the rear-left corner of his Tiguan SUV.
“This was the point of impact at the back end, and I’m told by police friends that this is where they hit them when they want to spin them out if they’re chasing somebody. So, this spun me out.”
During the three-minute segment, Robertson holding a CP24 microphone gave viewers an up-close look at the damage to his vehicle.
“I was in the middle lane. I headed off to the left lane and then into the median, and this is what the front end of the car looks like,” Robertson said.
“Now this crashed the median, spun me out to the right. I headed around to the right, hit a van, knocked the van over, and then I continued on for a bit and came to a stop. When I came to a stop, you know you’re trying to figure out where you are and what’s happened. The airbags came out; they worked beautifully. I was still in one piece. I knew that,” he said.
“I got out of the car, and I was able to walk away from this. It’s a pretty bad accident, as accidents go, and of accidents I’ve covered over the years myself. So anyway, we’re in one piece.”
