A middle-aged man died after being struck by lightning while walking across a gas station parking lot in Waukesha, Wisconsin, during a severe storm on Wednesday evening, according to police. The unidentified man, believed to be in his 40s and an out-of-state resident, was fatally struck by a lightning bolt around 7:45 p.m. at a Kwik Trip gas station, the Waukesha Police Department said.
A witness called 911 reporting a man down and unsure if he was breathing. The victim also called first responders when the incident occurred, CBS 58 reported. Preliminary investigations suggest the man was struck while walking across the parking lot, with witnesses and physical evidence at the scene consistent with a lightning strike.
Medics found the man unresponsive and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The area was experiencing heavy rainfall, thunder, and lightning at the time of the incident. The Waukesha Police Department is working with the medical examiner to determine the man's identity and the official cause of death.
The incident occurred amid severe thunderstorms that battered Wisconsin, Iowa, and Kansas in recent days, bringing tornadoes and grapefruit-sized hail. Lightning strikes can immediately damage the cardiovascular and nervous systems, with about 90 percent of victims surviving but often suffering life-long injuries and disabilities, according to University Hospitals.
Truck driver Greg Suttner, who pulled into the Kwik Trip the following day, expressed shock at the rarity of such an event. 'Is it something that you ever even think of that you'd get struck by lightning just walking into a gas station?' he told FOX6. Lightning Data Specialist Chris Vagasky studied Wednesday’s weather patterns to provide further context on the incident.