An Alabama man has survived being struck by lightning exactly one year after a firework exploded in his face. James Lawley, 36, of Joppa, was at his daughter's birthday party on Sunday when a lightning bolt struck his SUV, traveling through his body and into a Cullman County firetruck.
"The only thing that I remember is just grabbing my chest and saying that I'm hit, I'm hit," Lawley told WVTM 13. An EMT who assisted him suggested that Lawley may have survived because it was a secondary lightning strike. "That's probably the only thing that saved me," he stated.
Lawley, who has been undergoing chemotherapy since 2021 for an autoimmune condition, described the aftermath of the lightning strike as feeling sore for about three days. He now jokes that he has four lives left.
The incident occurred almost exactly one year after Lawley was struck by a firework that had fallen sideways. While attempting to right the firework, it exploded, leaving him with a wound near his nose that required stitches. "We avoided fireworks that whole day because of that, and then at the end of the day, I get struck by lightning," Lawley said. "I don't know if it's the fifth of July or what, but I'm unlucky on that day."
Lawley, who is a firefighter, also joked about wearing bubble wrap next year to avoid further accidents. He is pictured with his wife in an image taken during the lightning strike incident. Another image shows the lightning bolt striking his SUV before passing through him and into the firetruck. A third image depicts the firework incident, and a fourth shows Lawley undergoing chemotherapy. Despite the string of unfortunate events, Lawley indicated that he can now laugh about the incidents. The Daily Mail has reached out to Lawley for comment.