Trio perished in crash that occurred after they had encounter with a tornado.
Trio perished in crash that occurred after they had encounter with a tornado.
Three University of Oklahoma meteorology students died in a tragic car crash on their return trip from Kansas Friday, where they had successfully intercepted a tornado while on a storm chasing outing.
According to a report from The New York Times, Nicholas Nair, 20, Gavin Short, 19, and Drake Brooks, 22, had been traveling southbound on Interstate 35 in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, a small town near the Kansas border, when their truck hydroplaned and stalled in the middle of the road before being hit by a truck. The students were pronounced dead on the scene, and the truck driver, who was hospitalized with injuries, survived the crash.
Large dusty tornado 4 miles north of Herrington, Kansas. Filmed at 8:07 pm. We observed power flashes in the town. #kswx #kansasing @NWSWichita @NWSTopeka @MetCrewChasers @nic_nairwx @Wx_DrakeBrooks pic.twitter.com/GGtTrPZLpj
— Gavin Short (@GavinShortWX) April 30, 2022
Their deaths have shocked the weather community, leading to touching tributes from across the field of meteorology.
In a statement, AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers and President Stephen R. Smith grieved the fact that such promising young lives had been cut short.
“The pursuit of science, especially for the ultimate purpose of saving lives and keeping people out of harm’s way, is the most noble pursuit there is,” Myers and Smith wrote. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families.”
Extreme Meteorologist and storm chaser Reed Timmer posted multiple tributes for the chasers and said that his future chases will be dedicated to the trio.
“Heartbreaking loss of 3 OU students in an accident on the way back from chasing. These students are close to my heart and a shining light in the weather community,” Timmer tweeted. “Words cannot describe the sadness. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families and friends. RIP my friends.”
My future storm chases are dedicated to the @MetCrewChasers lost team members Nic, Gavin, and Drake. I wear proudly your sticker on Dominator Fore. I am so sorry this happened to you. Your passion will always shine bright and inspire weather enthusiasts far and wide #RIPOU3
— Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) May 1, 2022
Several National Weather Service offices also chimed in with tributes, with forecasters with the NWS in Norman, the office closest to the University of Oklahoma, releasing a weather balloon into the atmosphere with the names of the three lost chasers on it. In a somewhat eerie coincidence, it turned out that Drake Brooks himself had released a weather balloon in almost that same spot earlier in the year.
A number of students in the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology added their own personal tributes to their friends and colleagues on Twitter, remembering their kindness and their positive impacts on the world.
Drake, Gavin, and Nic. You were my best friends and brought so much happiness and laughter to my life. I can’t believe you’re gone, but your memories will never be forgotten and we will make sure of it. I will forever love and miss you guys🤍 pic.twitter.com/dYVmH8VJTn
— Mara Davis (@marajdaviswx) April 30, 2022
Robby Frost, a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology, said on Twitter that wished he could “hug y’all and let you know the impact y’all have had on my life.” Frost described the late students as “the most kind, motivated, selfless, strong people I know,” and added that he was honored that they had been a part of his life.
The University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology released a statement Saturday that said its tight-knit community was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.
— Oklahoma Meteorology (@ousom) April 30, 2022
“Our leadership and faculty stand ready to support each of our community members in the days, weeks and months ahead as we all grieve this unthinkable heartbreak,” the school said.
Following the news, a number of storm chasers and meteorologists took to Twitter to remind storm chasers young and old that driving is arguably the most dangerous part of the hobby.
“Driving home is the most dangerous aspect of storm chasing and you don’t convince me otherwise,” tweeted Jordan Hall, a multimedia journalist with SevereStudios, a severe weather videography company.
Storm chasers have died and been injured in traffic accidents before. In 2017, three storm chasers, Kelley Williamson, 57, Randy Yarnall, 55, and Corbin Jaeger, 25, were killed in a car accident near Spur, Texas. Williamson and Yarnall, both of Cassville, Missouri, were contractors for The Weather Channel, featured in the network’s special program Storm Wranglers.
I guess the cat’s out of the bag on the news I heard this morning. Driving is the most dangerous part of storm chasing and it is not even close, and it doesn’t have to be you that messes up. Overnight drives in intense weather systems are extremely unnerving for me.
— Spencer Dant (@sdantwx) April 30, 2022
Storm chasers were also killed during the El Reno tornado in 2013, a twister that became infamous for its unusual movements, intense strength and unprecedented 2.6–mile width, which led to the deaths of three well-known storm chasers with a tornado research team known as TWISTEX: Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young.
At a memorial for that storm chasing team, some gathered to honor Nair, Short and Brooks as well.
Storm chaser Brandon Copic tweeted that he stopped off at the TWISTEX Memorial to drop off three cheeseburgers to honor the lives of the three students. “Cleaned the memorial and prayed for them and their families as well as for their guidance in keeping us all save (sic) in the field. Gone but not forgotten,” Copic said.
A GoFundMe page started to help the families of the deceased chasers has raised over $50,000 as of this posting, with support still pouring in.
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