Lightning strikes truck twice in 10 minutes south of Colorado Springs; man inside uninjured

A man operating a dump truck in a construction site near the Security-Widefield area had his vehicle struck by lightning twice Friday afternoon — once while he was inside.

According to the Security Fire Department, the man was working inside the dump truck when it was struck by lightning around 1 p.m. He quickly jumped out of his truck and got to a safe area; not even 10 minutes later, the truck was struck again.

Fire personnel said he was checked out by a medical team at the scene, but did not suffer any injuries.

The truck did sustain some damage, but it was unclear how extensive it was.

According to Lt. Morgan Fullmer with the Security Fire Department, when it comes to lightning, being in the car can actually be in one's favor.

"Rubber is not a good conductor of electricity, and so with that, you are less likely to get injured being in your car," Fullmer said.

The Security Fire Department does not typically see cases of lightning striking vehicles or people.

"At least for us, that's definitely rare; maybe only three to five houses a year in our area, primarily out east, get struck." Fullmer said. "People can still get electrocuted, but the phenomenon of getting struck by lightning doesn't happen all that often."

In a Facebook post, the fire department said the best way to stay safe from lightning is to seek shelter inside a building or car with the windows up as soon as you hear thunder.

"Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from rainfall, so don't wait until you see lightning or hear rain," the post said.

Colorado Springs weather: Dry then wet continues Friday, through the weekend