HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A lightning strike last Friday was caught on camera just before it struck a Florida deputy’s car.
According to WTXL, a dashcam video from inside a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office car on July 1 caught the close call between the deputy’s car and a lightning strike.
HCSO said in a Facebook post that a deputy was driving around 4 p.m. as a thunderstorm was rolling in.
“As the deputy was driving through the rain, she heard a loud clap of thunder, her dashboard lights turned on, and then the entire car turned off. When she looked in the rearview mirror, she saw smoke,” HCSO said. “At first, she thought her tire popped, but as she, and other nearby drivers, pulled over she saw this video and the nearby lightning strike and realized it was the lightning that damaged the car. The passenger in the vehicle behind her happened to be recording at the exact moment of the strike.”
The deputy’s car was “fried” as a result of the lightning strike, HCSO told WTXL.
Luckily, no one was injured. HCSO suggests that once you hear thunder, seek shelter at a safe place, such as your home, a business, or your car that is parked safely.