ABC News producer Dax Tejera’s cause of death has been confirmed.
The sudden death of producer Dax Tejera in December of 2022 has recently been confirmed to have been caused by “asphyxia due to obstruction of airway by food bolus complicating acute alcohol intoxication.”
Initially, ABC News President Kim Goodwin reported that Tejera had died from a heart attack.
However, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has now provided further insight into the tragedy.
Tejera was 37 years old and was the executive producer of ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” at the time of his death.
He had joined ABC News in 2017 as a senior producer and moved to his position at Stephanopoulos’ show in February of 2020.
Prior to his work at ABC News, Tejera had worked at NBC News and held degrees from Dartmouth College in history and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
On the evening of Tejera’s death, he and his wife Veronica had left their young children, a 5-month-old and a 2-year-old, alone in a hotel room while they went to dinner with friends at a posh Midtown restaurant.
Veronica was later arrested and charged with child endangerment.
Veronica stated that she had asked her parents and a close friend to watch the children and that she was monitoring them via camera.
She also claimed that the hotel had called the NYPD instead of allowing her friend to watch the children and that she had brought her husband to the hospital after he collapsed.
An employee at the restaurant reported that Tejera seemed unwell shortly into the meal and that a server had checked on him.
The inebriated producer then got up and walked out of the restaurant, collapsing in the corner outside.
This tragedy highlights the dangers of drinking and the importance of responsible parenting and safety for children.
Tejera’s death was a great loss to the world of journalism and to his friends and family.
RIP.
