The article says the commute took so long because of traffic and congestion on the roads, so the actual distance might not be so far away. It’s an unreasonably long commute either way though.

I could maybe understand accepting a job that far away as a temporary solution, like if you are eventually planning to relocate to that area and need to save up first, or trying to break into an industry with limited local opportunities until you get a bit of experience and find something closer.