Saturday, June 1st 2013, 1:56 am
As severe weather began to fire up west of the Oklahoma City metro area, along interstate 40 and the town of El Reno, some drivers were caught off guard and directly in the path of nature's wrath.
The first confirmed victims of Friday's deadly storms, a mother and child, pulled from their vehicle by the extreme suction of the storm. An Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper witnessed the tragic event unfold, and was then left with the terrible task of locating the woman and her baby.
That happened along I-40 near El Reno. The trooper searched for the victims for a few minutes, and upon making their discovery, kept her husband and another small child from witnessing the grisly scene.
5/31/2013 Related Story: Deadly Tornadoes, Heavy Flooding Terrorize Central Oklahoma
A total of five fatalities have been confirmed with this storm, all virtually located in the same small area, where the storms seemed their most intense.
Two other victims were discovered near SW 15th St. and Choctaw Rd. in Union City, and another single victim near NW 10th St. and Radio Rd. in El Reno. The victims' identities have not been released at this time.
Hard numbers on injuries have fluctuated as the strong storm pushed in an east southeast direction, from the El Reno area, to Yukon, and into the Oklahoma City metro, on into Moore and Norman and onward east.
Close to 50 are being treated at metro hospitals, and five are in critical condition.
EMSA tells News 9 they fielded nearly 300 calls to 911, with 39 total storm-related injuries transported to local hospitals. It is unclear the severity of those injuries, but daylight will be sure to reveal the true nature of May's final fury.
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