Lebanese-American reporter Serena Shim, who was covering the battle for Kobane for state-owned Iranian broadcaster Press TV, died on Oct. 19, 2014 near the border with Syria when a cement mixer collided with the vehicle in which she was travelling, Hurriyet Daily News reported. Shim, 30, was returning to her hotel in Suruc at the time of the collision. Another member of her team, camera operator Judy Irish, was also reportedly injured.
Two days before her death, Shim said that officials from Turkey’s intelligence agency had accused her of spying based on her reporting. Representatives of Press TV deemed the circumstances of her death “suspicious”. Turkish officials, however, rejected allegations of foul play. Turkish media reported that the driver of the cement mixer had been arrested and the local governor pledged that a detailed explanation of the incident would be released following an investigation.