Storm chasers working for the Weather Channel contributed to a fatal accident by ignoring the rules of the road, it is being claimed in a lawsuit.

The mother of another storm spotter is suing the channel – alleging it allowed two of its employees to continue working despite previous warnings about their driving.

In April 2017, Weather Channel storm chasers Kelley Williamson, 57, and Randall Yarnall, 55, were pursuing a tornado near the town of Spur in Texas.

The lawsuit alleges that while streaming the chase online, they drove through a stop sign at about 70mph (113kmh) and crashed into a vehicle being driven by 25-year-old Corbin Lee Jaeger, who was working for the National Weather Service.

All three men died instantly.

It is Mr Jaeger’s mother, Karen Di Piazza, who is bringing the lawsuit.

According to a statement from her lawyer Robert A Ball, Mr Williamson and Mr Yarnall “habitually ran stop signs, traffic lights and violated other basic traffic safety laws, in attempts to obtain video footage for their show”.

The statement continues: “Yarnall and Williamson had a history of reckless driving when storm chasing and when filming TWC’s television programming, which was well known among other storm chasers and TWC.”

The Weather Channel said it could not “comment on pending litigation”.

On the afternoon of the crash, a tornado briefly touched down about five miles from where it happened, according to the Storm Prediction Centre.

Mr Williamson and Mr Yarnall featured on the Weather Channel’s programme Storm Wranglers.

In a statement after they died, the channel said they were “beloved members of the weather community”.

It added: “We are saddened by this loss and our deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of all involved.”

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