The odds of anybody becoming a victim of lightning in the U.S. are a staggering 1 in 700,000 in any one year. The odds of being struck in your lifetime, while still small, increase to 1 in 3,000. But what about being an indirect victim of a lightning strike?
This incident took place this past weekend on River Road in Eugene, Oregon, USA, where one Tim Mullins and his fiancee were driving on Saturday afternoon. As you can see, lightning hit a nearby tree, causing branches to fall onto the road.
“It was beyond scary, that’s for sure,” Mullins said. “It caused a lot of damage to my poor truck. I’m just thankful we didn’t get hurt.”
According to ABC6, storms moved through Western Oregon on Saturday, causing damage not only on roads but also to at least one household.
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Generally speaking, you’re pretty safe from lightning as long as you’re inside a vehicle (moving or stationary) or a structure that’s lightning-proof. But when you’re traveling, the fact that wrath can come down from the skies and suddenly you have debris all over the road, well, that can make for a very dangerous situation.
This incident thankfully had a happy ending, despite the truck taking on damage. You can also see how it struggled to pull away from the wreck – which was a little alarming considering the fact that lightning never striking the same place twice, though unlikely, is nothing more than a myth.