Middle-aged man dies after being ‘struck by LIGHTNING’ while walking across gas station parking lot during storm
A middle-aged man died after he was struck by lightning while walking across a gas station parking lot in Wisconsin during a severe storm, police said.
The unidentified man, believed to be in his 40s, was fatally struck by a lightning bolt on Wednesday evening at a Kwik Trip gas station in Waukesha, CBS 58 reported.
A person called 911 around 7.45pm, reporting that a man was down.
The victim, who is believed to be an out-of-state resident, also called first responders when it happened.
He is believed to have been hit with the surging strike while walking across the parking lot, according to a preliminary investigation by the Waukesha Police Department.
Medics found the man unresponsive and took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His death comes as a number of tornadoes and grapefruit-sized hail have battered the Midwest in recent days.
At the time of the incident, the area was experiencing heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning.
A middle-aged man died after he was struck by lightning while walking across a Kwik Trip gas station in Waukesha, Wisconsin on Wednesday night
When lightning strikes a human it immediately damages the cardiovascular and nervous system. (Pictured: Stock image of lighting bolt)
The Waukesha Police Department said they are working with the medical examiner to determine an identification for the man, as well as a cause of death.
The Daily Mail contacted the Waukesha Police Department and the Waukesha County Medical Examiner for comment.
Severe thunderstorms started tearing through Wisconsin, Iowa, and Kansas on Tuesday night.
When lightning strikes a human it immediately damages the cardiovascular and nervous system.
About 90 percent of victims survive, but are known to suffer life-long injuries and disabilities as a result, according to University Hospitals.
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