Lightning fries SUV and puts holes in roof, but detectives inside are OK, AZ cops say

A lightning strike hit a Dodge Durango on an Arizona highway and left three detectives inside unhurt, but their SUV wasn’t so lucky, officials say.

The lightning left two holes in the vehicle’s roof and fried its electrical system, the Arizona Department of Public Safety reported in a news release posted Wednesday, Aug. 17.

The strike took place over the weekend as they were driving on Interstate 10, the release said.

The detectives felt a shock and “tingling sensation” but were not seriously hurt, the agency reported.

“There is no safe place outside when thunderstorms are in the area,” the National Weather Service says, advising anyone caught in a lightning storm to get inside if possible.

If you can’t get indoors, avoid open fields or hilltops. Stay away from trees or other tall objects. And stay away from water and wet or metal objects, which can carry an electrical shock.

An average of 27 fatal lightning strikes have been reported each year in the United States over the past 10 years, the agency said.

This story was originally published August 18, 2022 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Lightning fries SUV and puts holes in roof, but detectives inside are OK, AZ cops say."