3 storm chasers killed in 2-vehicle accident near Spur, Texas

[Jeremy Perez]

I had the pleasure of knowing Corbin as one of several Arizona chasers who are crazy about the southwest Monsoon and love to get out on the Plains whenever possible. I remember seeing him and two other AZ chasers at a Mexican food restaurant in Dodge City after all the tornadoes on May 24th last year. His enthusiasm for chasing, for that awesome experience just overflowed from him. It was impossible not to grin right along with him at how much he loved getting out on the road and tracking down some of the most awe-inspiring things nature has to offer. We caught up again at Monsoon Con the following month and that enthusiasm had not dwindled a notch. He loved it. I am so saddened by his loss, I can't describe it. This will have a huge impact on the Arizona chaser community and he will be missed dearly. I did not know Kelley or Randy, but I've watched Kelley's stream from time to time and felt his passion for storms as well. Their loss will be felt greatly as well. This tragedy is gut wrenching.

 

[Isaac Schluesche]

I have not seen the stream, so has any of that been verified? There are numerous people alleging that "multiple" stop signs were disregarded prior to the one that caused the accident. If that is true, while the outcome is the same nonetheless, that's even far more tragic, since it becomes something more than a simple, unilateral error at one fateful intersection.

If the accident did indeed not happen at the last intersection currently on the stream, they definitely missed at least two, because at the end of the stream you can see them zoom past a stop sign.
Haven't watched any more, so can't verify the "Multiple" claims

 

[Warren Faidley]

I don't believe this video will be up much longer. The attorneys and professional investigators will be fully involved by later today. I should also point out that they read Stormtrack.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

I was wondering about the audio continuing after the video too and if you compare the video where it stops with the intersection where the crash occured it looks like the video stopped where the crash took place.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I was wondering about the audio continuing after the video too and if you compare the video where it stops with the intersection where the crash occured it looks like the video stopped where the crash took place.

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That's the same intersection I'd say. Interesting to note that you could not likely see westbound traffic because of the trees, or at least from that point. Would likely save more lives if all those rural, paved intersections were 4-way stops.

 

[Jeremy Perez]

Okay, so now, 15 minutes after I looked, the video does end where it did yesterday, but out of sync with earlier audio. Might've buffered differently for me earlier this morning. I'll stop trying to figure it out.

 

[John Massura]

Okay, so now, 15 minutes after I looked, the video does end where it did yesterday, but out of sync with earlier audio. Might've buffered differently for me earlier this morning. I'll stop trying to figure it out.

After watching the end of the video last night (haven't looked today), and "travelling" the road on Google Maps, I am about 99% convinced the accident was at that intersection (that cut out about 100-200 feet short), after noting the aforementioned signs on the left (black road sign, stop sign warning, the green city marker, etc).

As mentioned by many above, this will definitely be remembered on the chase trail this Spring. My partners and I are usually very conservative with regards to positioning (it's how we've always done it since the late 90s really), and we don't really have too many distractions (cell phone and a laptop and sometimes a scanner). We try to do as much as possible for the driver so that he can focus on the road. That said, I'm sure we will be treading even more cautiously on any intersection approach.

 

[JamesCaruso]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

It is natural for all of us to gravitate here and want to talk about this tragedy in our community of fellow chasers. All of the reminders against complacency are good and need to be said. Although it wasn't applicable in this case, I particularly took note of Dave Hoadley's post that reminds us about locals who may have crossed a rural intersection a thousand times with no other vehicles around. Then one day, unbeknownst to them, they are suddenly sharing the roads with hundreds of chasers but they cross a familiar intersection like they always did... I also like Warren's suggestion about a little more of a proactive approach to intersections; not sure if I will go as far as saying "clear" but will definitely discuss with my chase partner some level of enhanced vigilance.

Jeff - not to pile on you, I understand your feelings but you are a leader here so your words carry more weight than most... True someone is at fault and maybe even to the point of recklessness. But we have all made mistakes. As Dan said, it could have happened to any of us. I rolled through a stop sign in college, arrogantly thinking that nobody could possibly be coming down the road at that time... We got hit broadside but thankfully everyone was OK. Even the at-fault vehicle in this West Texas case had a passenger. True they were older but still had plenty of life to live, as do their families. A tragedy for all, I just think we need to respect that and not point fingers - while at the same time taking the lessons to heart. "There but for the grace of God go I" type of thing...

Ultimately though, this hand-wringing will mean little. I got hit from behind a couple years ago (not chasing) and for a few months I looked in my rear view mirror while stopped at every traffic light, paranoid that I would have to react to someone ramming into me. Of course, I stopped doing that eventually. When someone we love passes away we say we are going to live our lives differently and treat others better; that lasts a month. When we hear about someone that gets a disease, we say we are going to take better care of ourselves; that lasts about a week. When we see a car crash on the side of the road, we get a little more vigilant, at least until the next time we get in our cars.

Aside from the fact that these were chasers, and chasing is inherently distracting, it really could happen to anyone, anytime, and in fact it does every single day. For that reason I doubt this will result in any backlash against chasers as Warren fears.


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[Warren Faidley]

I've seen non-chaser comments on social media saying "It was only two chasers." Some of you may be right about the overall lack of attention towards this event after a few days. I guess if non-chasers had been involved, like a family for example, the attitude might be totally different. I do believe LEO in the area will have less patience towards chasers -- just like we have seen in other areas where problems or accidents have occurred.

 

[Randy Jennings]

My condolences to the families. I never meet Corbin in my chases, but I did happen to meet Kelley and Randy a few days ago. We had chased the same area in east Texas on Friday and passed each other several times and they followed us for 15 minutes or so as we both tried to reposition on a storm. I saw nothing but good driving from them on Friday. I got to meet them Sunday when we both showed up at the pre-chase coverage at the truck stop at US 70 and US 81 in Waurika, OK. I had a short conversation with Randy, and then we where off in different ways and didn't see them again Sunday.

For what it is worth, when I looked at the video last night and it is the same as it is now and even then the video seemed ahead of the audio by several minutes and the video freezes at the intersection in question while the audio continued on for just over another 2.5 minutes. Every picture I have seen seems to confirm the accident was at that intersection. You can even see the FM 2794 left/right sign in the accident scene photo posted by Will Campbell (which appears to have been taken on County Road 419 north of FM 2794 looking south. I agree with Will that it looks like Kelly and Randy where going north and Corbin was likely going west. Here is a better view of the intersection from Kelly's stream a second or so earlier than when the video freezes:

 

[Manuel Salgado]

Can we stop with the "it could have happened to any of us" please? I realize that many of the chase community disregard road laws but not all of us. I can't recall a single time I've blown through a stop sign, street light, or barricade on a chase. This incident is the very reason why. I'm not trying to act holier than thou, but I refuse to believe that the entire community stops regarding traffic laws just to make those that do feel like it's an acceptable action that only now in light of this tragedy should be reconsidered.

And count me with Jeff in being more upset at the loss of a young life who didn't appear on stream disregarding multiple stop signs. The full loss of life here is tragic, but as far as I can see only one person was negligent in a criminal manner.
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[Steve Burre]

Wondering if we have a very large lawsuit (multi-million $$$) coming against the Weather Channel if 1) one party was acting as a contractor while the other party was not and 2) the party acting on behalf of the Weather Channel was at fault running a stop sign....perhaps enough to put a damper on some of this commercial-oriented activity?

 

[nmoore125]

I 100% agree with all that is said about being a possible blown stop sign. I will also end speculation and say that Kelley was the driver. Randy and him switched a little before the accident. Why, we have no clue, Randy always drove. But I will say the video cuts off before the stop sign, we dont know if the camera was zoomed in at all. While I think it is 95% obvious what if Kelley for some reason blacked out before that happened.. Yea its a reach, but the long long hours he has been putting in was taking a toll on him, he mentioned it numerous times to me, and after talking with his mother, sister and daughter yesterday I think we are all on the same page that he was pushed to his limit. Whats the facts are is NOBODY knows ALL the facts and probably never will so its time for mourning, and this should be a massive wake up call to everyone to be more careful out there. Sadly some will always think it cant happen to them..

 

[Steve Holmes]

Notes on a tragic day:



1) Do you believe TWC and local stations will cut back on their use of live interviews with chasers? Maybe require them to be stopped while talking? I don’t think Williamson was on live when he crashed, but he had been.



2) Coming at it from another adrenaline-filled hobby, train chasing, I don’t see much that can be done about the bad habits of some chasers. For some, ‘The Shot” is worth whatever they have to do to get it. Videotaping while driving. Passing ten cars in a no-passing zone. An observer described a rare, steam-train chase as “a real-life version of ‘Cannonball Run.’”



Policing the hobby, whether it’s chasing storms or trains, is wishful thinking. Can you use peer pressure? Shun them? Refuse to look at or to buy their video? Bar them from chaser conventions? You can. But I imagine the most hardcore offenders would give up their friends before their hobby. Even if hundreds keep their behavior within reasonable bounds, some yahoo won’t, and something bad may still happen, perhaps taking lives and tainting the hobby. All it takes is one.



3) TV has to stop buying the clips taken from too close (my opinion: if you can make out a disintegrating building, the photog was too close) or from known “offenders.” Maybe establish an industry wide blacklist (“These are the guys we don’t do business with because they take too many risks”).



That, too, is wishful thinking. The networks will continue to buy the most sensational footage, even if just for fear that, if they don’t, another will. I know how the TV business thinks. I was in it. Damn glad I’m out.



TV also has to stop its hypocrisy. Don’t broadcast a chaser’s stream and tell the rest of us, “Don’t you try this. These guys are trained professionals. They know what they’re doing.” Until they don't.



4) Maybe this should be a separate thread, but I remember chasers making similar vows to rethink their actions after El Reno. That was nearly four years ago. Have their been any *lasting*, noticeable, positive changes in chaser behavior directly resulting from El Reno? If not, I wouldn’t expect any changes from what happened today. People believe bad things can’t happen to them. Until they do.

I am truly sorry to be such a downer.

 

[Brad Dormer]

For those saying it can't/won't happen to you, think about a few things, what if you/someone on the road in front of you, beside you, coming at you etc. black out or have a medical emergency. You may think you're perfectly healthy, but emergencies like that can happen, what if your brakes fail? Before you say "it can't happen to me" think about the little/big things that could happen and cause accidents.