Lightning Strike Hits Police Car

[kellyhound]

As a McCraken County, Ky, Sheriff's Department's Deputy found out, a lightning strike is not exactly fun up close. Sergeant David Shepherd caught on a lightning strike on his dashboard camera while on his way home Thursday afternoon.

"That's the closest I've ever been to a lightning strike and that's hopefully the closest I'll ever be to a lightning strike," he said. "It felt like somebody punched me in the back of the head."

Sergeant Shepherd says the lightning was so strong it knocked the camera loose from the windshield mount.

"I would've never dreamed that lightning would have had that type of concussive force both with what I felt and the minor damage it did to my vehicle," he said.

What's important to remember about lightning is the unpredictable nature of it. While storms can be forecasted, it's near impossible to pinpoint lightning strikes.

"It's like trying to track a needle in a haystack," meteorologist Jim Caldwell said. "You cannot predict exactly where because if we could we wouldn't have all these lightning rods on buildings because we wouldn't need them."

As the summer draws closer and the chance for storms continues to run high lightning will continue to play a big part.

[wickedminds1]

That's like the second video I seen a car get struck by lightning great find

[valroadie]

Nice find kelly! My grandmother had the same thing happen, ripped a hole in the engine block from what I remember.

[SLAPAPPY]

I was hit by White Lightning over and over again until I couldn't remember a thing and woke up the next day to a splitting headache... just awful!

[Tyrantus]

Cool video! Too bad they didn't show the damage to the car though.

[el_topo]

How come I heard the safest place to be during a lightning storm, is a car?

[Ninjavandal]

Holy crap, that was loud.

[mmxphotog]

Oh wow I didn’t even know that could happen.

[Susan]

I was stood next to a shed that was hit by lightning. The sound it makes is indescribeable. I was shaking for about an hour. I always thought the rubber on the car tyres made them safe to be in, even if hit by lightning, because it 'earths' it.