ROUND LAKE, Ill. – A close call for a police officer and two other people in Round Lake, Illinois after lightning struck the base of a nearby tree during a severe thunderstorm.
The shocking video was captured on the officer’s body camera. No injuries were reported.
The booming crack of thunder could be heard just a split second after the lightning bolt flashed. The officer urged one person who was outside to get under the cover of a garage where he was assisting a person on a non-emergency call Wednesday afternoon, according to the Round Lake Police Department.
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Travis Nickey, storm chaser and photographer, was nearly struck by lightning while shooting a storm in Haskell, Texas, on Sunday. Despite the close call, Nickey was able to capture striking images of the lightning.
The close call comes after a lightning strike at an outdoor archery range in eastern New Jersey killed a 61-year-old man earlier this week and injured more than a dozen others, local authorities said.
Meanwhile, a young man died Monday, nearly a week after he was struck by lightning while playing golf, also in New Jersey.
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Experts say that the best way to stay safe from lightning in general, is to stay inside.
For first responders who are out in severe weather, John Jensenius with the National Lightning Safety Council told FOX Weather that being inside a hard-topped vehicle can provide a measure of protection.
