Three University of Oklahoma students had been killed in a crash as they returned Friday evening from a storm-chasing trip to Kansas.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol recognized the three individuals who died as driver Nicholas Okay. Nair, 20, of Denton, Texas; and passengers Gavin A. Short, 19, of Grayslake, Illinois; and Drake H. Brooks, 22, of Evansville, Indiana.
The faculty confirmed the three had been students.
“The university is devastated to learn of the tragic passing of three students,” stated college spokesman Mackenzie Scheer. “Each were valued and loved members of our community.”
The freeway patrol stated the three had been meteorology students who had been chasing storms Friday in Kansas, the place tornadoes close to Wichita ripped up houses and companies and injured at the least 4.
Shortly earlier than 11:30 p.m., they had been returning to the Norman space amid wet situations when their Volkswagen Tiguan hydroplaned on Interstate 35, close to Tonkawa, the freeway patrol stated in an announcement.
The SUV stopped in a lane and was struck by a tractor-trailer, the freeway patrol stated.
It took rescuers greater than 5 hours to get the three students out of the car, it stated. They had been pronounced useless on the scene.
The driver of the truck was taken to a hospital and launched, the freeway patrol stated.
The crash was nonetheless underneath investigation.
The National Weather Service workplace in Norman memorialized the trio Saturday by launching a climate balloon in their title.
“On this very sad day in the Norman weather community, our evening weather balloon launch is dedicated to Nic, Drake and Gavin – OU meteorology students who died in a tragic traffic accident last night,” the workplace tweeted.
