An NBC "Today" show audio technician on his way to help set up for the Rockefeller Center tree lighting was one of the four people killed when a Grand Central-bound Metro-North train derailed in the Bronx Sunday morning.
Jim Lovell, 58, of Cold Spring, was taking the early train to New York to do setup work for Wednesday’s tree-lighting special when the train came off the tracks near the Harlem River just north of the Spuyten Duyvil station. More than 60 other commuters were hurt, including 11 who suffered critical injuries.
The show’s executive producer, Don Nash, tweeted condolences Sunday night and shared the news with the "Today" staff in a note on the show's website.
“Jim worked on 'Today' for over 20 years,” Nash wrote. “He was not only a skilled technician but also one of the nicest guys you ever met. You may have seen him working at many of our outdoor concerts. He always had a smile on his face and was quick to share a friendly greeting.”
Another passenger killed on the train, 54-year-old Donna Smith of Newburgh, N.Y., was remembered as a dedicated member of the community who worked two jobs.
"She was very giving, very giving and loving, and she cared about people," said Kathy Cerone, a neighbor. "She cared. And she was a good friend and a good neighbor."
A second woman who died in the crash, Kisook Ahn, of Queens, worked nights as a nurse at a home for disabled children in Ossining. She was on the train Sunday after working overnight, according to the facility.
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Linda Masiello, an administrator at Sunshine Children's Home & Rehab Center, said the other nurses were devastated to learn of Ahn's death.
"She was an amazing nurse, she took amazing care of the children," Masiello said.
James Ferrari, 59, of Montrose, NY, was reportedly on his way to work in Midtown when he was killed in the crash.
Lovell, the "Today" tech, had three sons and a daughter. His wife, Nancy Montgomery, was a Phillipstown councilwoman. Friends and neighbors remember him as a doting father who was active and involved in the community.
One of Lovell's sons posted a photo of his father to Instagram Sunday. In the caption, he said the 58-year-old made him the man he is today.
"I love you and I miss you," he wrote. "I can't believe you're gone. This feels like an awful nightmare that I can't wake up from."
Richard Shea, one of Lovell's childhood friends, said that he was "the salt of the earth."
“There's a huge hole in the heart of this town tonight," he said.
--Lori Bordonaro contributed to this story
