Grace Bentkowski, a creative producer for the NewsNation cable network, was killed last month while crossing ground-level tracks with a group of other commuters at Chicago’s Hegewisch South Shore station. Her death just came to public attention.
“Grace Bentkowski was a rising star at NewsNation,” the network said in a statement issued today. Her passion for journalism and eagerness to learn the ropes was infectious and her willingness to jump in and learn the TV news business was inspiring to her colleagues. Grace was one of those rare people who brought light into any room in which she entered.
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“We are heartbroken for her loved ones and family, and she will never be far from our hearts,” the network said.
Bentkowski was a recent Ball State University graduate. She first worked as an intern for NewsNation, covering Indiana’s local elections last year, according to her Instagram account. She was hired as an associate creative producer after she graduated from college in May.
The accident happened due in part to the station’s strange configuration. In order to reach a parking lot at the station, riders must walk over the tracks. Bentkowski was doing so when struck by the train. She was taken to a hospital with internal injuries and died.
The transit agency said the incident is under investigation.
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