George Washington Bridge Suicide: Noted Surgeon Jumps To Death

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A man who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge this weekend has been identified as a noted surgeon and the ex-husband of a prominent TV doctor. For more on this story and other Washington Heights news, sign up for Patch's daily newsletter and free, real-time breaking news alerts here.

The man, later identified as Dr. Robert Ashton by the Fort Lee Daily Voice, jumped from the New Jersey side of the bride around 8:40 a.m. Saturday, Port Authority police told Patch. Ashton jumped from the bridge about two weeks after his divorce from Jennifer Ashton, a doctor and the chief women's health correspondent for ABC News and Good Morning America, reported the Daily Voice.

Jennifer Ashton posted a tribute to her ex-husband on her Facebook page.

"Our hearts r broken that the father of my teenage children took his own life yesterday. As an MD he helped so many and we will remember his warmth generosity and kindness," Jennifer Ashton said in the post.

Asthon's death is the second time in 2017 that somebody has died after jumping from the George Washington Bridge. A 23-year-old man jumped to his death from the New York side of the bridge earlier this month. While 18 people jumped to their death from the bridge in 2015, that number was down to 12 in 2016.

Photo by Gryffindor via Wikimedia Commons