Lightning strike like a ‘gunshot’ kills family’s car on highway, IL cops say
A “gunshot”-like sound startled a family as they drove down an Illinois highway. Then, their car started to fill with smoke, Illinois deputies said.
The sound was not from a firearm. Instead, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said a direct lightning strike disabled the moving vehicle.
The family of three got out of their vehicle unscathed to see parts of their car scattered across the Williamson County highway, deputies said in an April 5 Facebook post.
Lightning left a hole in the roof of the car and completely killed the vehicle’s electrical system, deputies said. The rear bumper and exhaust system exploded onto the road.
Williamson County is about a 325-mile drive southwest from Chicago.
This story was originally published April 7, 2025 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Lightning strike like a ‘gunshot’ kills family’s car on highway, IL cops say."
