It was a shocking moment, to say the least. Michaelle May Whalen was driving through the Tampa Bay area on July 1 at her home in Indiana when the car she was in was struck by a lightning storm. Whelan and her family were on their way home to Indiana from Florida when the incident happened. (Michaelle May Whalen via Storyful) She took out her phone camera to film it, using the slow-motion video setting to capture the hits, just before one hit the pickup truck in front of her that was carrying her husband, Edward, and three children. HALO SAVES FORMULA ONE DRIVER IN HORRIFIC FLIPOVER CRASH The bolt appears to take four quick hits as the Ram pickup goes through it and disintegrates right in front of Whelan’s car. She captured the moment the lighting hit her husband’s Ram pickup on video. (Michaelle May Whalen via Storyful) She told Fox 13 that her husband and everyone in the vehicle were fine. US TRAFFIC DEATHS TO RISE TO 16-YEAR RECORD IN 2021 “He actually had to come back to me and hug me and let me know that, ‘Yes, I’m fine, yes, the kids are fine.’ Unfortunately, the brand new truck was “completely fried”. The new Ram Pickup was “totally fried.” (Michaelle May Whalen via Storyful) “I’ve always wanted a Dodge Ram since I was a little kid,” Whalen said. “And finally I was able to get one. And I just made my third car payment and — bam.” While the odds of being struck by lightning are less than one in a million, many hundreds of people are struck each year, with Florida being one of the most common places it happens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The interior of a hardtop vehicle is one of the safest places to be. The rubber tires don’t insulate it, but the metal body acts like a Faraday cage that directs the load around the outside of the body to the ground. In fact, the steel belts inside the tires can heat up and cause them to explode as electricity passes through them. Electrical systems can also be damaged and defroster wires in windows can break from the intense heat. Faraday cages are commonly used in science museum exhibits. (SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images) It is important to keep the windows closed, try not to touch metal surfaces or controls, and stay completely inside the vehicle. If one touches the ground, lightning can find its way through it. However, convertibles don’t offer the same protection. The CDC recommends that anyone caught outside in a storm should seek shelter indoors or even under a rock or rocky outcropping. If none is available, it is best to find the lowest possible ground away from the water and crouch, not lie down. Avoid trees, wire fences, power lines, windmills, or anything that can conduct electricity regardless of where it is down, and if you are in a group of people, separate to reduce the number of injuries that can be caused. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When it comes to vehicles, Progressive Insurance says it will only cover if drivers have a comprehensive policy, as lightning is considered an act of nature and not a collision. Gary Gastelu is FoxNews.com’s Automotive Editor covering the auto industry and racing @foxnewsautos
