Thinking about two friends

September 23, 2012 (WABC) -- My heart is heavy, so heavy and i'm thinking of my friends and colleagues, Danielle Baum Rossen, a Senior Producer at ABC News, and her husband Jeff Rossen, a former Eyewitness News reporter.

Saturday night, Danielle's dad, Rubin (Ruby) was killed when he was hit by a car. Ruby and his wife, Denise, were hailing a cab at 59th and Park when a Mazda allegedly ran a red light, crashed into a minivan reportedly carrying a diplomat from Pakistan, and then the Mazda ran over Ruby.

As he saw what was happening, the 80-year-old Ruby, who Jeff says had the heart and energy of a 25-year-old, pushes his wife out of the way, saving her life.

She suffered a few bruises, but mostly has a crushed heart.

He died a hero.

He had two Purple Hearts from the Korean War; maybe he should get a third.

We all love you Danielle and Jeff - and are thinking of you and your family. Just so random and so tragic.

And - it turns out - bitterly ironic. Ruby's father was a rabbi - and he died, on the streets of Manhattan, after he was hit by a car in 1977.

Here's one more nugget - sweet but sad: Denise told me that she and Ruby met while they were each trying to hail the same cab. They ended up sharing that cab, and fell in love almost immediately, she said. Two monumental cab hails - and what a life in between.

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BILL RITTER

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