A 1960’s Newsman Killed in La Jolla Crash

Former 1960’s Newsman was killed Friday in a car crash. The ninety-one year old man was a former newsman who hosted the nightly news in San Diego in the 1960’s.

Samuel Mayo Rinaker, Jr was the ninety-one year old news man that was the passenger in the 1993 Mercedes Sedan when it crashed. The driver had lost control and then slammed into a 2014 Mercedes then into a power pole in La Jolla Scenic Drive.

Samuel Rinaker, died at the scene of the crash. The San Diego originally thought Samuel was in his 70’s. The drivers of the Mercedes were both in pain and immediately taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

A lot of the longtime “San Diegans” remember the deep-voiced Samuel Rinaker. He was the anchor for the “Up to the Minute” news program in the sixties. He hosted the newscasts on Channel 10 for almost fifteen years.

In May of 2000 profile, Samuel Rinaker had told the San Diego Union- Tribune that people still noticed him on the street. He had stepped away from broadcasting in 1975.

Samuel Rinaker’s statement about his career before his death

I guess night after night I became a member of the family, so people feel comfortable coming up and talking to me 25 years later.

A former colleague of Sumuel’s, Bob Lampert who was a photojournalist who had worked with Rinaker for some time at the News station, praised his former colleague calling him a “newsman’s newsman.” He later went on to say that Samuel was a major player in San Diego for some years.

Source: https://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/29/fatal-crash-la-jolla-scenic-drive-rinaker/

Daniel A. Gibalevich
DAG Law Firm
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