Three OU meteorology students die in car crash Friday on way home from storm chasing

A limited-knit community of temperature fans and storm chasers is grieving after the deaths of a few University of Oklahoma meteorology students in a motor vehicle crash late Friday whilst returning to Norman from storm chasing in Kansas.

The loss of the students, Nicholas Nair, 20, of Denton, Texas Gavin Limited, 19, of Grayslake, Illinois and Drake Brooks, 22, of Evansville, Indiana, prompted many to convey their grief, but also to try to remember why they liked them.

Leigh O’Neil, a geographic data science key at OU, said the 3 students were the “kindest, smartest people today” she’d ever met. O’Neil mentioned a selfie of the three mugging for the digicam that they despatched to their close friends Friday is a fantastic illustration of how humorous they have been.

“You couldn’t be all over them devoid of laughing your ass off,” she reported.

“They really would do something to support some others out, even before their individual well being,” O’Neil extra. “They are already missed greatly. Their loss is insanely distressing for us all.”

Deadly collision transpired through rainstorm in northern Oklahoma

Nair, Quick and Brooks ended up driving southbound on a soaked Interstate 35 around Tonkawa when their SUV hydroplaned, still left the roadway to the correct and then came back again on to the highway and stopped. The 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan was struck by a semi traveling in the very same path, in accordance to Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The a few were pronounced dead at the scene about 85 miles north of Oklahoma City. Tonkawa Fireplace Section officials and paramedics worked virtually five and a 50 percent hours to get rid of them from the wreckage. The semi truck driver was transported to a healthcare facility in Blackwell but has given that been unveiled.

The accident took put all-around 11:23 p.m. Friday evening, just three hours right after the learners witnessed a little twister north of Herrington, Kansas, according to their Twitter accounts.

Evan Shorter, 17, Gavin Short’s young brother, explained Gavin “lived a lot more in his 1.5 decades at OU than in his initially 18 many years of everyday living.”

Tale continues

“I can locate solace in the notion that now he can reside among the the clouds which he liked so much,” Evan Brief claimed.

OU’s College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences issued a statement declaring that as finals weeks strategies, counseling was accessible “as we all grieve this unthinkable heartbreak.”

“Our group in Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences is close-knit, and our University of Meteorology is very much a loved ones. Now, a lot more than at any time, we need to arrive alongside one another in kindness and heartfelt help for just one one more. Please join us in presenting thoughts and prayers for all those most impacted, and offering them with privacy,” the assertion stated.

Meteorological neighborhood mourns OU students’ demise on social media

Those people in the weather conditions and meteorology group took to Twitter Saturday to categorical their condolences above the information.

Chris Dixon, a fellow OU meteorology student, was section of a separate group of learners storm chasing Friday. He saw his first tornado over Andover, Kansas, but woke up Saturday to hear that three friends experienced died.

“Words are unable to describe this rollercoaster of feelings from one of the greatest details of my lifestyle to one of the most shut-to-household significant ones,” Dixon wrote on Twitter Saturday.

A very well identified storm chaser and OU meteorology alum Reed Timmer known as the students friends and said they are near to his coronary heart.

“My views and prayers go out to their families and friends,” Timmer reported.

This post initially appeared on Oklahoman: Three OU Meteorology pupils die on I-35 following Kansas storm chasing