Bart_Comstock
EF5
We are mostly out guys. We have enough cars to get everyone into town for the night. Everyone is ok and unharmed.
Chasers Stuck in the mud in SD
- Thread starter James Langford
- Start date
Paul Hadfield
EF3
Joey Ketcham
Just saw that on Ben's facebook page. Arrested, really? no crops were damaged, the guys were in danger and had to take drastic measures to save their lives.. now they are at risk of being arrested.
Joey Ketcham
Bart, thanks for the update and thanks for the help you offered to those who were stuck. That was awesome of you.
Jeff Snyder
EF5
Destruction of private property, or trespassing? Either one seems a bit far-fetched given the circumstances, but those are the only two I can think of. However, I really will be upset if this has anything to do with a chaser crackdown... Word can spread quickly amongst law enforcement, but I just can't imagine what happened down in OK will affect what is happening in SD... I fear we just may have entered a whole new realm of storm chasing, and it's one that is going to be costly if any of us makes any mistakes. Perhaps the 5/19 traffic zoo was the straw that broke the camel's back when it comes to perception by the media and law enforcement.
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Joey Ketcham
Paul Hadfield
EF3
Ben Holcomb via Twitter - "Not arrested. Farmer is really mad. Understandable. Will be working things out with farmer. Glad we are all safe."
(Thank goodness)
Joey Ketcham
Glad to hear, that farmer sounds like a complete a$$.
Mike Heitz
EF0
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2010
- Messages
- 19
Overall it was a pretty bad situation, we ended up just west of bowdle and watched the entire storm play out when it first touched down just south of highway 12 then move north and then watch the wedge form and got tons of video and pictures. I was amazed at how many chasers ended up out there, everyone was on 12 and the northern options were few and far between lots of dirt roads ended up with a few miles of chasers all on 12 we decided to not venture north as the storm was becoming HP and the roads were a little to dangerous to try to venture north, glad we didn't follow the group of chasers that split off north but happy to hear everyone is ok.
Yeah, Jeff, I was wondering exactly that. Indeed, it would be unfortunate if Wednesday's events have any bearing on the ramifications of today's incident. Because it's a totally different ballpark. What we saw on 5.19 was unnecessary risk taking that could have caused severe injury or death. What happened today was necessary (to avoid being in the path of a tornado) and they obviously did not endanger anyone else.
Ryan Moats
Did any sort of police come out there and get names? If not, i think your in the clear.
Adam Lucio
EF5
Just got to the hotel now, its nearly 6am.
The police did take all of our information. Apparently it was a wheat crop and not grass like I was originally told. I can understand why the guy is upset. While talking with one of the officers he said he was heading to the scene of an accident with his lights on and he was passed by a chaser [the cop said he was going 80 so the chaser was doing 90+] so he already had a tainted view.
Amidst all the chaos I was told the farmer cultivated over that portion of the road when he wasn't supposed to. Whether or not that is true I don't yet know. I mean there was no gate, no signs...no nothing....just a dirt road and then WHAM! Field.
Many of our vehicles are still there, the farmer doesn't seem to want to pull anyone out. If the area can dry out we should be able to drive ourselves out no problem.
Id like to thank Bart Comstock for going way out of his way to come to our aid. He really went above and beyond, making multiple trips back and forth to Aberdeen to shuttle us back to hotel rooms he booked for us.
So for some the situation isn't over yet, hopefully we can get our vehicles free later.
The police did take all of our information. Apparently it was a wheat crop and not grass like I was originally told. I can understand why the guy is upset. While talking with one of the officers he said he was heading to the scene of an accident with his lights on and he was passed by a chaser [the cop said he was going 80 so the chaser was doing 90+] so he already had a tainted view.
Amidst all the chaos I was told the farmer cultivated over that portion of the road when he wasn't supposed to. Whether or not that is true I don't yet know. I mean there was no gate, no signs...no nothing....just a dirt road and then WHAM! Field.
Many of our vehicles are still there, the farmer doesn't seem to want to pull anyone out. If the area can dry out we should be able to drive ourselves out no problem.
Id like to thank Bart Comstock for going way out of his way to come to our aid. He really went above and beyond, making multiple trips back and forth to Aberdeen to shuttle us back to hotel rooms he booked for us.
So for some the situation isn't over yet, hopefully we can get our vehicles free later.
Danny Neal
EF5
Law enforcement is pissed. We are okay and had to make a do or die decision. Law Enforcement wasn't nearly as pissed at us as he was another chaser. Apparently a chaser today passed this deputy while CODE3 trying to respond to an auto accident in a core doing about 95. I quote "South Dakota Highway Patrol is PISSED" Glad to be alive...
James Aydelott
EF1
Sorry, but I think he may have a right to be upset.
Tom Mitchell
EF1
This year's chase season is starting to look like one of the video out-take shows where people put their hands in alligator's mouths and get bit. Hopefully, next year people will have learned something and it won't progress to the "Jackass" level of Tv show.
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