A man in Miami was taken to the hospital after a lightning strike caused a large Norfolk pine tree to fall onto his Range Rover on Friday morning. The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. during severe weather.
Surveillance footage captured the moment lightning struck the tree, causing it to ignite briefly before it fell. The driver was passing underneath the tree in his white Range Rover at the precise moment it crashed down, significantly damaging the front of the luxury SUV. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews used a chainsaw to cut through the tree and parts of the vehicle to extricate the trapped driver.
The man was transported to a trauma center and is expected to make a full recovery, according to WPLG Local 10 News and WSVN News. His identity has not been released.
The National Weather Service has reported that lightning-related accidents have been slightly higher than normal this year. As of late June, two lightning fatalities had been reported in the United States, a number below the average of fewer than 10 deaths by mid-summer in recent years. Historically, June, July, and August are the most dangerous months, accounting for approximately 70 percent of all lightning fatalities.
In separate incidents, a 54-year-old woman in Georgia was struck by lightning outside her church on May 6. Mary Menna was knocked unconscious when lightning struck a nearby tree, causing it to explode and sending a shockwave through her vehicle. She was not breathing when paramedics arrived and required emergency CPR before being taken to the hospital. On May 31, 18-year-old Michael Aidan Vargas was kayaking with his father on Florida's Blackwater River when he was struck by lightning. His body was later recovered from the river. In Colorado, a golfer was struck by lightning on June 30 at Fox Hollow Golf Course, an incident that also sparked a two-acre brush fire. The golfer was taken to the hospital but discharged the following morning.