A lightning strike can cause significant damage to a vehicle and, in some cases, lead to serious injuries or even deadly consequences.
While the threat of lightning hitting a vehicle is minimal, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can prove disastrous, even to the extent of a car catching fire.
That is what happened to a man in Utah who was driving his Ford F-150 pickup truck when lightning struck his vehicle, changing a cold, rainy day to a hot and fiery one in minutes.
Fortunately, the driver survived to tell the story, one that many might find hard to believe until they see the footage of the incident.
Rainy Drive on I-15 Turns Into a Disaster
According to a video posted by KSL News Utah, Casey Pettus was traveling on Interstate 15 outside of Cedar City, Utah, when lightning struck his F-150. Pettus said it took him one or two seconds to realize what had just happened as he drove in the rain at highway speeds.
Soon after the strike, the truck’s electronics failed. As a result, he had to operate the power steering manually and park the truck by the side of the road. Pettus said:
“Holy cow, I just got struck by lightning, and then my truck shut off. I had to muscle it off the road.”
Pettus got out of his vehicle, and within five minutes, his truck was up in flames. By the time firefighters arrived, the F-150 had burned to the ground.
He added:
“It is hard for me to comprehend that this even happened.”
“I definitely feel blessed and lucky to (a) be unharmed and (b) be alive.”
As Pettus is a contractor, many of his tools were inside the cab, and they were also destroyed in the fire.
Tow Truck Operator Never Towed a Vehicle That Was Struck by Lightning
A separate report by KSL said that the incident happened around 12:30 p.m. near mile marker 50 on I-15. Mark Hodgins, the tow truck operator who responded to the scene, confirmed that the lone driver did not suffer any physical injuries. He said:
“Apparently, (the truck) got hit by lightning and went dead, so the guy had no power steering. He just pulled off the side of the road and apparently it started smoking from under the dash, so he knew it was on fire.”
He noted that the driver was “understandably shaken up” after the fire crews put out the fire, and admitted he had “never experienced” responding to a car that was struck by lightning. He added:
“He lost his truck, and he had quite a bit of expensive tools in it that he lost.”
The truck was identified as a 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid and was declared a total loss.
What Happens to a Car When It Is Struck by Lightning?
Not every vehicle struck by lightning catches fire. The National Weather Service reports that in many cases, the occupants remain unharmed because a hard-topped metal vehicle acts like a Faraday cage, directing the electrical current around the exterior of the car rather than through the cabin.
However, anyone outside the vehicle or leaning against it during a thunderstorm remains at risk of being struck. A lightning bolt typically hits the vehicle’s highest point, such as the antenna or roof, before traveling along the metal body and into the ground.
While the passengers inside are generally protected if the windows are closed, the immense electrical discharge can still leave the vehicle with significant damage. The impact can destroy electrical components, damage onboard computers, melt or deform the antenna, shatter the rear window by damaging its defroster wires, and even ruin one or more tires as the current exits through the steel belts.
In some cases, the intense heat generated by the strike can also ignite a fire, potentially resulting in extensive damage or even the complete loss of the vehicle.