Michigan Driver Escapes Burning Truck After Lightning Strike

I’ve always believed something that now feels… a little questionable: that if your car gets hit by lightning, you’re totally fine because the rubber tires “ground” the vehicle. That’s what I was told as a kid, and I guess I never really thought twice about it.

Well, this week I learned that’s not exactly how it works, and I realized it thanks to a pretty wild story out of here in Michigan.

WWMT News Channel 3 in Kalamazoo posted on their Facebook page about a man who was driving near Fort Custer Recreation Area in Augusta when his truck was struck by lightning.

Thankfully, the man managed to escape just before his truck caught fire. First responders told the station’s photographer who was luckily in the area at the time of the strike, that he’s “lucky to be alive.”

Seriously… how terrifying is that?

The good news is the man’s okay. But the story made me stop and realize that maybe our childhood lightning car safety advice deserves a little update.

It turns out, it’s not the tires that protect you, but the metal frame of the car that helps direct the electric current around you. And even then, a strike can still start a fire or damage the car in some cases.

So yes, while being in a car during a storm is still safer than being outside, it’s not a guarantee that everything will be fine if lightning strikes. The whole thing kind of makes you think twice, doesn’t it?

Next: Other Thunderstorm tips you may have missed along the way ⬇️

Next time there’s a big storm rolling in, I’ll definitely be pulling over and waiting it out if things get crazy. Because even if the tires don’t do the trick, a little caution might.