Weather Channel Sued By AZ Storm Chaser's Mom Over Fatal Crash

The mother of Arizona storm chaser Corbin Lee Jaeger has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against The Weather Channel and the estate representatives of two other storm chasers her suit claims drove recklessly during a March 2017 tornado in Texas, leaving all three severe weather warriors dead.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Northern District of Texas by Karen Di Piazza, alleges that Randall Yarnall and Kelley Gene Williamson — who worked as storm chasers for The Weather Channel's "Storm Wranglers" — ran a stop sign while going 70 mph in pursuit of a tornado.

Jaeger was going westbound and had the right of way when the collision occurred, the suit says. It further alleges that Yarnall and Williamson had a history of reckless driving when filming for the show. The lawsuit says The Weather Channel was aware of this history because it had been warned by other storm chasers and had seen the dangerous driving live on video when the pair chased storms.

The storm chasers, including 25-year-old Jaeger, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news article from the time. The crash occurred near Spur, Texas, which is located about 70 miles east of Lubbock.

In a statement, The Weather Channel said it cannot comment on pending litigation.

"We are saddened by the loss of Corbin Jaeger, Kelley Williamson, and Randy Yarnall," the statement said. "They were beloved members of the weather community and our deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of all involved."

A GoFundMe page established for Jaeger after the crash said he was "loved, admired, and adored by so many people." The page said Jaeger's primary goal in storm chasing was to act as a spotter who would notify the National Weather Service.

The suit cites a series of text messages sent by another storm chaser to a producer on the television show. One of the texts, which the suit said was dated four months before the crash, read in part, "the fact of re matter is that you have 2 very inexperienced, new and uneducated 'chasers'.... talk about liability. See where I am going with this? .... I'm not gonna badmouth Kelley but I'm not gonna lie either."

The lawsuit says additional messages exchanged were exchanged between other chasers and high managerial agents at The Weather Channel.

According to the lawsuit, Yarnall and Williamson were filming severe weather and livestreaming the footage at the time of the crash. The video footage, which is nearly two-and-a-half hours long, shows the pair running stop signs four other times, the lawsuit says. Yarnall and Williamson can also be heard talking to their employers throughout the video, according to the suit.

The lawsuit also says that the windshield of the Suburban driven by the two storm chasers was obstructed by storm tracking and broadcast equipment.

Representatives of The Weather Channel monitored and worked very closely with the two storm chasers, the suit says. It further alleges that the channel "encouraged the pair's recklessness and set the stage for this tragedy."

The lawsuit asks for a jury trial and seeks $125 million in damages.