Lightning Strike Kills Colo. Motorcyclist

AP ^ | 6/22/06

[Mr. Brightside]

Today: June 22, 2006 at 9:56:7 PDT

Lightning Strike Kills Colo. Motorcyclist

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WESTMINSTER, Colo. (AP) - A motorcyclist died after he was struck by lightning while riding in rush hour traffic between Denver and Boulder, police said.

Witnesses reported seeing a flash of light shortly before the motorcyclist struck the center divider on U.S. 36 Wednesday, police spokesman Tim Read said.

Gary Missi, 46, of Longmont was pronounced dead at the scene.

A coroner's investigation was under way to determine whether the lightning bolt, the collision or something else caused his death, Read said.

The lightning blasted a 4-inch-deep hole in the highway and sent chunks of asphalt hurtling across the highway.

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[P-40]

At least the story did not end with whether or not he was wearing a helmet.

[b4its2late]

Yeeeowwwza!

[misterrob]

Someone upstairs must have been mighty angry at this person!

[American Quilter]

Good grief, poor man. The whole front range is a lightning magnet, and Colorado Springs, where I live, is particularly bad. We're behind only Orlando, FL for the highest number of lightning strikes per year. More years than not, at least one golfer is killed by lightning strikes. "Lookit that thunderstorm! Hey, hand me my 5-iron, willya?"

[andy58-in-nh]

I guess God's finally had enough of the Hell's Angels.

[digger48]

At least the story did not end with whether or not he was wearing a helmet.

My first thought too. Also "pending toxicology report"

[xpertskir]

I used to live out there. There is NEVER lightening. Talk about bad luck

[PeterFinn]

Damn! The mods on this site need to dial it back a few notches on their *ZOT!* powers!

[Constitution Day]

Terrible, but I admit, I laughed out loud. :)

[uglybiker]

Hooligan PING.

[chris_ab]

No, really, there are tons of lightening strikes. In that area, you just don't hear about all the dead hikers and cyclists over the years. Many people begin hikes and activity early morning to avoid the afternoon lightening and storms.

[martin_fierro]

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[Old Professer]

[fso301]

I guess when it's your time, it's your time.

[loreldan]

Never lightning??!! The Front Range here has lightning - and lots of it- almost every afternoon in the summer. Normally there is a thunderstorm for a couple hours. That's why they tell hikers to be off the mountain by noon. There's a nice lightning storm going on right now as I look out my window.

[Ignatz]

"Lookit that thunderstorm! Hey, hand me my 5-iron, willya?"

Idiots. Everyone knows that you should use a 1-iron when golfing in a storm.
Even God can't hit a 1-iron!

[spunkets]

"This will be unusual if true as most bikers have rubber foot pegs, rubber handle grips and wear rubber sole boots or at least the ones that i know including myself."

The spark jumped 1000s of feet of air. It's millions of volts and thousands of amps. A couple of dinky pieces of rubber ain't going to do squat.

[HOTTIEBOY]

The lightening is still strong enough to arc the few extra inches needed to ground the frame.

But still this story is like one in a billion rides on a bike. Billions prolly.