Ray Hartmann was a mainstay in St. Louis media for decades before running for Congress in 2024.
Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1976 and remained with the alternative weekly publication for more than 20 years. In 1994, he relaunched St. Louis Magazine and remained CEO and owner until he sold it in 2018.
His reach expanded beyond print starting in 1987 on the Nine PBS political commentary show “Donnybrook.” He was a mainstay on the show for nearly 40 years. He joined KTRS in 2019, where he hosted “St. Louis In The Know With Ray Hartmann.”
In 2024, he pulled back from local media to run for Congress in Missouri’s 2nd district. He won the democratic primary, but lost to incumbent Ann Wagner in November of 2024.
“I am so deeply saddened to hear that Ray Hartmann was killed in a car accident yesterday,” Wagner said in a social media post. “Ray was well known across our community as a fixture on Donnybrook and through the numerous news organizations he owned during his career as a journalist. I am praying for Ray and his family during this tragic time.”
Officials told 5 On Your Side that the crash happened in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 64 at the Interstate 270 exit and involved two vehicles, including a tractor-trailer.
The crash report said two tires fell off a towed unit on the tractor-trailer. The tires hit the concrete median and flew in the air before striking a Chevrolet Bolt. The driver, identified in a crash report as a 73-year-old man from Richmond Heights, was pronounced dead at an area hospital a short time later.
The tractor-trailer’s driver stayed at the scene.