A Utah truck driver had a terrifying close call this week when lightning struck the freeway just moments away from his vehicle during a powerful storm.
Dashcam footage appears to capture the lightning bolt hitting Interstate 84 near the entrance to Weber Canyon on Tuesday night, just a few feet from a truck traveling along the highway, ABC4.com reported.
Tucker Ralphs, who was driving home at the time, recorded the dramatic scene with his dashcam.
Lightning nearly struck a truck traveling on a Utah freeway during severe weather earlier this week. (Tucker Ralphs via Storyful)
“Lightning struck the edge of the freeway feet from a truck just ahead of me,” Ralphs told Storyful. He described the blast as “louder than you can imagine,” followed by a sharp “crack” and “boom.” The flash was “super bright, then gone in an instant.”
The National Weather Service confirmed that a thunderstorm moved through the area. Agency data indicated the lightning strike hit the side of the freeway at approximately 9 p.m. local time.
The National Weather Service estimates that lightning kills roughly 20 to 30 people in the United States each year. (Getty Images)
Lightning strikes can be fatal, even when they happen without warning.
Earlier this month, a Michigan man who had relocated to Florida just days before died after apparently being struck by lightning while walking on a path.
Witnesses attempted to perform CPR on 20-year-old Matthew Eric Jenkins, who had moved to Central Florida to begin an internship program at Walt Disney World.
