Channel 4 Storm Chase Vehicle Involved in Accident

[Warren Faidley]

Did not see a lot posted on social media about this.

Anyone have details.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2029933927172112425

 

[Warren Faidley]

Someone just posed on social media that this was caused by an amateur chaser who blew through a stop sign?

 

[Matt Zumbrunn]

 

[Warren Faidley]

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Extremely frustrating to chase in today's environment. And for what? You are not going to make it big on social media anymore. Those days are coming to an end. Your great image or video clip has an average 2-hour life span now days and earns little or nothing.

It would appear that the latest accident in OK has been kept quiet. I have heard zero about it on social media. You would think that if a news vehicle was totaled (as it appeared in the picture), there would be a lot of talk. I know these events are sometimes covered up to some degree to limit bad press about storm chasing. Maybe someone in OK can get a police report?

 

[Warren Faidley]

From AI.........

Who was involved​

The crash involved the 4Warn Storm Team from KFOR‑TV (Oklahoma City Channel 4).

The injured chasers were reported as:
Conner Tune
His unnamed chasing partner/cameraman.

Both were part of the station’s mobile storm-tracking crew.

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What happened​

• The crash occurred Thursday night while tracking tornado-warned storms in western Oklahoma.
• A storm-chaser vehicle reportedly ran a stop sign and T-boned the Channel 4 tracker vehicle.
• The impact caused the storm-tracker vehicle to roll over.

A Good Samaritan reportedly stopped and called emergency services after the rollover.

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Injuries​

• Both crew members survived and were later released from the hospital.
• One suffered a cracked sternum and rib injuries.
• The other had significant bruising.

The vehicle itself was reportedly totaled.

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What I’m still trying to confirm​

There are a few details floating around but not yet fully verified:

• Exact intersection/location in western Oklahoma
• Name of the driver who hit them
• Photos of the wrecked vehicle

 

[Warren Faidley]

Well...... the topic is now trending on X.

 

[Warren Faidley]

There was apparently a second accident after someone freaked out in a RFD. I believe there is a genuine effort to cover up these accidents.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030306987406237702

 

[JamesCaruso]

Crazy, first Plains chase day of the season, it’s only March… Hopefully not an omen of a bad season ahead…

 

[Warren Faidley]

Like I said last year, people are getting more and more aggressive. Something has to give.

 

[Drew Terril]

Given the number of chasers over the years who have been injured or worse by non chasers simply driving to and from a target area, combined with the aggressive driving becoming increasingly common among chasers in general, I'm surprised this hasn't happened more during a chase. Granted, I'm also somewhat surprised that we haven't had more non chasers who are panicking end up hitting chasers while trying to flee a storm.

It's a big reason why I tend to stay back much farther from a storm on a chase day. I'm a firm believer in the miracle of telephoto lenses, and given that I served as many years as I did, plus the years of OTR trucking I did, I have no desire to tempt fate any farther than I have to this point, both as it pertains to the storm and as it pertains to the others who are out chasing as well.

 

[Warren Faidley]

More information. Unfortunately, we still don't know the name of the chaser who "ran the stop sign."

https://kfor.com/news/local/kfor-4warn-storm-tracker-injured-in-crash-during-tornadic-storms/

 

[Evan Hawkins]

Did not see a lot posted on social media about this.

Anyone have details.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2029933927172112425

Apparently someone ran a stop sign and ended up t-boning the 4-warn team, doing more research now.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I would not be surprised if this starts a new round of "legislation" discussions in Oklahoma.

 

[Evan Hawkins]

I would not be surprised if this starts a new round of "legislation" discussions in Oklahoma.

it shouldn't I mean, only thing they'd probably do is instead of a stop sign there, they'd put a light and camera, if not, probably just a camera there

 

[Evan Hawkins]

Reportedly,during the storm, a member of the 4Warn Storm Team’s chase crews was T-boned by a driver, who reportedly ran a stop sign. At the scene, KFOR was told the driver who hit our crew was an amateur storm chaser and that he reportedly blew through a stop sign. KFOR storm tracker Conner Tune suffered some cuts and deep bruises, and his truck is a total loss, but he and his chasing partner, Blaze Edwards, were discharged from the hospital Thursday night.