Pratt, Kan. (BNc)- The son and daughter-in-law of a Kansas preacher were killed Friday by a tornado while traveling in Kansas.
Gary S. Whitlow, 33, and his wife Kimberly, 29, of Rocky Ford, Colo., were traveling near Pratt, Kan., when a tornado hit their car and both were killed.
Gary’s father Wayland preaches in Clearwater, Kan.
According to news reports, their car was blown 150 yards off the highway into a field as they traveled about 13 miles east of Pratt, near the community of Cairo.
The tornado was spotted on the ground at 10:50 p.m. Friday, two miles east of Cairo. The Pratt County Sheriff’s Office said the wreckage was not found until approximately 9:10 a.m. Saturday, by emergency crews. Their bodies were found near the vehicle.
KKTV.com reported that family members mentioned the couple had just celebrated their first-year wedding anniversary.
They were on their way to visit Gary’s brother, whose wife had just had a baby. They had pulled off the road to wait out the storm and had no idea of the approaching twister.
The same twister also swept a semi-truck off the highway and knocked down power poles and lines across the road.
The storm system spawned at least 17 tornadoes across central and western Kansas Friday, injuring at least six other people and damaging dozens of homes.
So far this year about 100 people have been killed by twisters in the U.S., the worst toll in a decade, says the National Weather Service.
BNc will update with more details as they arrive. Our thanks to Joe Slater of Thayer, Mo., friend of Wayland, for the initial information.
Reaction?