Lightning strikes AZ Trooper vehicle on I-10

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — An Arizona Department of Public Safety vehicle defied one-in-a-million odds over the weekend, getting struck by lightning on I-10 eastbound, driving toward Phoenix.

The Dodge Durango was carrying three AZDPS detectives at the time of the strike. The Dodge Durango SUV suffered a "fried electrical system" as a result, with two small holes on the driver's side roof.

The detectives themselves, however, reported experiencing only "a shock and experienced tingling sensations" but no serious injuries.

Always seek safety indoors during a lightning and thunderstorm. If you happen to be on the road, the National Weather Service says "the outer metal shell of hard-topped metal vehicles does provide protection to those inside a vehicle with the windows closed."

According to the CDC, almost 90% of lightning strike victims survive. Those statistics do vary by region, however: Arizona is grouped among states with the highest number of lightning-related deaths and injuries in the last 15 years, but falls short of Florida, dubbed the "lightning capital" of the U.S.

Florida has had over 2000 lighting injuries over the past 50 years. NWS has reported 13 lightning fatalities so far in 2022, none of which have occurred in Arizona.