Head of Knight-Ridder Hurt as Car Hits Pole

The chairman of Knight-Ridder Inc., James Batten, was critically injured in a one-car crash, Batten’s wife said Monday.

Batten, 57, was alone in his car at the time of the Sunday evening accident when it hit a street light pole.

Batten heads Knight-Ridder, a media company that includes 29 daily newspapers, including the Miami Herald.

He was listed in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital with head injuries and a fractured leg.