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Eugene

(61,782 posts)
Fri Mar 29, 2019, 04:19 PM Mar 2019

Text message sent days before deadly storm chaser crash expressed alarm over driving

Source: CBS/AP

Text message sent days before deadly storm chaser crash expressed alarm over driving

MARCH 28, 2019 / 11:55 AM / CBS/AP

A mother is suing The Weather Channel for $125 million over the death of her son, who died in a crash involving storm chasers employed by the cable network. The lawsuit, citing text messages, alleges that at least one Weather Channel employee was known to have "dangerous" driving habits before the fatal crash.

The mother, Karen Di Piazza, alleges Kelley Williamson and Randall Yarnall, who had a show called "Storm Wranglers," ran a stop sign on a county road as they were chasing a tornado in Texas two years ago. The lawsuit alleges the duo crashed into a vehicle driven by Di Piazza's son, 25-year-old Corbin Lee Jaeger.

The suit claims The Weather Channel "was aware the pair drove dangerously and the risk they posed to others," and was "warned by third parties that their 'STORM WRANGLERS' engaged in reckless driving before this tragedy." It says another storm chaser who knew Williamson and Yarnall exchanged text messages with a show producer "concerning the dangerous nature of the driving habits" of the pair before the crash.

In one message, the unnamed storm chaser said Williamson was "doing 90+mph" to get to a location. "We are just hoping he doesn't get hurt or hurt anyone else," the chaser wrote 24 days before the accident, according to the lawsuit.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/text-sent-days-before-fatal-storm-chaser-crash-expressed-concern-over-driving/




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Text message sent days before deadly storm chaser crash expressed alarm over driving (Original Post) Eugene Mar 2019 OP
Wow. I think TWC might be in some legal trouble with this one. Get out your checkbook. catbyte Mar 2019 #1

catbyte

(34,308 posts)
1. Wow. I think TWC might be in some legal trouble with this one. Get out your checkbook.
Sat Mar 30, 2019, 07:50 PM
Mar 2019

Frankly, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often with YouTube yahoos trying to get famous and "reality" shows hiring reckless people. Condolences to all three families, but the victim I really feel bad for is Di Piazza. He was the innocent party in this. On that tape, Williamson sounded like a cowboy adrenaline junkie.

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