A Utah contractor's Ford F-150 Hybrid pickup truck was destroyed by fire after being struck by lightning while he was driving on Interstate 15. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, near milepost 50, during a heavy storm.

Casey Pettus was traveling northbound from St. George to Cedar City when he noticed his rear driver's side tire had blown out and was leaking air. While hoping to reach an exit in Cedar City for repairs, lightning struck the vehicle.

Pettus described the event as happening very quickly, with an intense jolt that he said "pressured me down." He realized the vehicle had been struck, and moments later, flames began to emerge from the truck, accompanied by a large plume of black smoke. The fire quickly engulfed the front half of the vehicle within approximately five minutes, rendering it a total loss, according to the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP).

The lightning strike caused the truck's electrical systems to shut down, forcing Pettus to steer the vehicle off the highway manually. He reported that drivers behind him appeared stunned by the event. Pettus was able to retrieve his phone and wallet as smoke entered the cab, but he had to leave his tools inside the vehicle, which were subsequently lost in the fire.

Despite the destructive fire, Pettus was unharmed. He described feeling calm and composed, yet helpless, as his truck caught fire. He expressed gratitude for being alive and unharmed.

Despite the astonishing photos of Pettus' truck, he was unharmed. However, he said that he left all of his tools in the vehicle, and they were all lost in the fire

UHP Corporal Justin Faust described the scene as unusual. He advised drivers to pull over under an overpass or seek cover away from the highway during lightning storms due to the unpredictable nature of weather.

Ladd's Towing responded to remove the burnt vehicle. Tow truck operator Mark Hodgins noted that Pettus was shaken by the loss of his truck and expensive tools. Hodgins stated this was the first lightning strike incident he had encountered in his eight years of towing.

A photo of the aftermath of the incident showed how Pettus' vehicle, which became fully engulfed within about five minutes, had effectively lost its entire front half after the huge blaze

The incident caused delays and a temporary shutdown of both northbound lanes of Interstate 15. The scene was cleared by approximately 5 p.m. local time.