WABC Reporter Colagrossi Dies Suddenly

Lisa Colagrossi, reporter at WABC New York, died suddenly March 20 of a brain hemorrhage. She was 49.

Colagrossi collapsed after finishing her report from a house fire March 19. She was in the news van headed back to the station, and the photographer with her flagged down an ambulance. She never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead March 20.

Colagrossi was a resident of Stamford, Connecticut and is survived by her husband Todd and sons, ages 11 and 14. She joined WABC days after September 11, and has been covering major news stories in DMA No. 1 since. Her previous stations include WKMG Orlando and WKYC Cleveland.

“Lisa Colagrossi embodied the Eyewitness News spirit--a straightforward reporter who told the truth, empathetic to the everyday citizens of the New York area, and demanding of those in power,” said Dave Davis, president and general manager of WABC. ”All of us in the Channel 7 family are in shock over her sudden death. Our attention is now focused on helping her husband and two children though this difficult time.”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.