New Orleans is mourning the loss of another prominent figure in the local sports news scene.
Mark Deane, a sports producer at WGNO (an ABC affiliate in New Orleans), was killed in an accident while riding his motorcycle on the Crescent City Connection bridge on Friday. This came only one day after Deane attended the funeral of Ed Daniels, who passed away after suffering a heart attack in California while covering New Orleans Saints training camp. Deane and Daniels worked together at WGNO.
WGNO shared the news and some circumstances of Deane’s passing on Friday evening.
“Mark Deane, one of WGNO’s long-time sports producers, was tragically killed on Friday morning at the age of 48 after being hit in a New Orleans crash,” WGNO’s post said. “According to the Louisiana State Police, just after 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 23, troopers with LSP Troop B responded to the multi-vehicle crash, which occurred on the Crescent City Connection bridge.
“The preliminary investigation reportedly showed that Deane was driving a 2021 Yamaha motorcycle eastbound on the bridge when a 2000 Toyota Camry, driven by 29-year-old Alberto Martinez-Sanchez, of Gretna, struck the back of the motorcycle, causing Deane and the Yamaha to become airborne. The Camry then hit the back of a 2023 Nissan Rogue.”
The report also noted that “Deane was wearing a helmet at the time, but was pronounced dead at the scene.” Additionally, both Martinez-Sanchez and the driver of the Nissan Rogue were uninjured.
As was the case with Daniels, many tributes came in honoring Deane.
My thoughts are with @WGNOtv and all of the families. Don’t even know what say after just attending Ed Daniel’s memorial service.
Mark was at Tulane fall camp all month and was a joy to interact with on the sideline. Lost for words at this complete tragedy. https://t.co/2fL9VlhTZz
— Maddy Hudak (@MaddyHudak_94) August 23, 2024
Prayers for @WGNOtv Two heartbreaking losses in a row. https://t.co/Qe9PijZdUn
— Chris Singleton (@courierchris) August 23, 2024
At a loss for words with this on the heels of losing Ed. Thinking of everyone at @WGNOtv in what has been an incomprehensible last few weeks. https://t.co/R3XoLSX7li
— Corey Gloor (@CoreyGloor) August 23, 2024
Man prayers up to his family and the @WGNOtv family https://t.co/NLvke8HNLL
— Timothy J Jones (@tjayjones8) August 24, 2024
It’s been a tough week for our sister station. Just Tuesday, Mark ran my live shot for me. Keeping Mark, his family and the WGNO sports team in my prayers. https://t.co/zfgSRe05CH
— Sara Palczewski (@SaraPalczewski) August 23, 2024
Man, unreal. Rest in peace, Mark, and prayers to his family, friends and coworkers. Unbelievably tragic past week for the WGNO team. https://t.co/b1wd0gSEX9
— Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) August 23, 2024
Mark was also a fixture at WGNO, going back more than two decades with the station.
He also covered several @GreenWaveFB fall camp practices this month and was always extremely pleasant during every interaction.
🙏 to his family and friends on their loss. https://t.co/w9UXEDZOge
— Jason Corriher (@JasonCorriher) August 23, 2024
In a video shared on the station’s YouTube page, WGNO’s Curt Sprang remembered Deane, as well.
“Mark worked here at WGNO on and off for more than 20 years,” Sprang said. “But nobody here ever thought of him as a co-worker as much as they did a friend. I remember in the 1990s when Mark started here, doing whatever job he could, shooting video, editing, writing. He would go on, though, to produce some of the most important projects here at the station. A couple years ago, Mark moved to the New York area to be near his son, who was attending college there. And he began working at our sister station in New York.
But he returned here this past spring specifically to work in our sports department and with our sports director, Ed Daniels. You probably know already that Ed’s funeral was yesterday. This evening we are waiting to find out the arrangements for Mark. And I can tell you that everybody here at WGNO is coping with an awful lot right now. It feels like there’s just not a lot of air to breathe if you know what I mean.”
Deane was 48.
[WGNO.com, Photo/Video Credit: WGNO on YouTube]
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