Longtime KUSI-TV anchor David Davis killed in crash, station reports

Former KUSI-TV anchor and reporter David Davis, who retired earlier this year, was killed in a crash in Texas, the television station reported Wednesday night.

According to his Twitter page, Davis, 62, was a “motorcycle obsessive” who set out on a riding tour of the country on his Harley-Davidson on Aug. 21.

His adult son and daughter said Thursday that Davis “lived passionately,” and on this trip had made many stops to visit family members and friends, including a stop in his hometown of Memphis.

“It warms our heart to know he spent his last days and weeks with people who all played an important role in his life — in his road trip across the country,” said his son Chas Davis, who turns 36 on Friday, reading a statement from the family. “It was obvious to everyone that he felt that love and connection on this trip. Now we’ll celebrate the life he lived fearlessly alongside the people he brought so much joy.”

KUSI reported that Davis was killed in a crash near Dallas. A spokeswoman for the family said the crash happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Over the past few weeks, Davis had posted photos of himself on Twitter and Instagram from Alaska, Nevada, Utah, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan. His last Instagram post, from Saturday, showed him attending the University of Michigan football game at “The Big House,” Ann Arbor’s 107,601-seat Michigan Stadium.

Other recent photos and tweets showed him at Mount Rushmore and in Las Vegas.

Within a half-hour of KUSI announcing his death, several people posted condolences under Davis’ last Instagram and Twitter posts.

“RIP David Davis,” wrote one Instagram user. “A favorite anchor of mine. Condolences to your family.”

Davis, whose full name was Charles David Davis III, was married to Staci Ortiz-Davis, a former TV news anchor who is now an English teacher. He had two children from a previous relationship: Charles “Chas” Davis IV of Berkeley, Calif., and Brittany Davis, 32, of New York. They both said Thursday that they were grateful to family members, friends and community members who had expressed support after the loss of their father.

And they spoke of the pride they felt on the occasions when they would go out into the community with their father, who would often be recognized from his work on television.

“We liked how cool he made us,” Chas Davis recalled. “I know these people that would approach him always seem like close friends. Everyone felt like his friend.”

According to KUSI, he graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a degree in Communications, and had anchored the news in four states — receiving awards for his work. He joined the station in January 2003 and worked there as both an anchor and reporter until his retirement earlier this year.

In a statement, the station offered its condolences to the Davis family and others who knew him.

“David Davis was a consummate news professional and devoted family man with an adventurous streak who never gave up the quest to take the road less traveled,” the statement read. “He entered retirement with his usual rigor and zest, and his passing saddens all who knew him. We pass along our condolences to the Davis family and all those he touched here in San Diego.”

Staff writer Dana Littlefield contributed to this report.

Twitter: @Alex_Riggins

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alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

3:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from David Davis’ family members.

The article was originally published Sept. 12, 2018 at 11:05 p.m.