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Lightning Strike Kills Colo. Motorcyclist
AP ^ | 6/22/06

Posted on 06/22/2006 11:32:56 AM PDT by 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.

--


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hooligan; hooligans; hooligansmc; ibtz; mc; motorcycle; motorcycling; motorcyclist; ratfarts; rubbersidedown; shinysideup; theallmightyzot; zot
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To: BikerTrash
OK, I just did that and I'm I'm I'm alright...

LOL! Do you need an ambulance???

81 posted on 06/22/2006 1:20:55 PM PDT by American Quilter (Equal laws protecting equal rights...the best guarantee of loyalty and love of country. -- Madison)
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To: Mr. Brightside

The nanny statists will require lightning rods on MC's next.


82 posted on 06/22/2006 1:35:30 PM PDT by beltfed308 (Nanny Stater's are Ameba's.)
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To: Right Wing Assault
"I would much rather have a metal roof over my head than no metal. "

If the branch the car's hit with doesn't contain much energy, that's true. It's better though to be flat on the ground if there's an immanent strike. Generally in populated areas with a dense electrical grid, that grid takes the brunt of the energy. Point like objects striking up out of the ground like trees attract hits. Trees also gather charge from there expansive root systems just below ground. Unless the car is the only object around breaking an otherwise flat plane, it's not likely to take a big hit. That's true of the biker in this case. Out of all the objects available, he was one of the more point like in the local area.

83 posted on 06/22/2006 3:35:48 PM PDT by spunkets
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To: The Red Zone
"It looks as if the bolt hit the passenger side windshield wiper."

Yes, it does. That would be the point of highest charge density. The fact that the whole wiper wasn't vaporized means it was a small strike and just enough chage was dissipated to drop the voltage to end the strike.

84 posted on 06/22/2006 3:40:12 PM PDT by spunkets
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To: American Quilter
The town has grown so much just in my 13 years here that it must look very different from when way young you were here! Do you have any idea what the population was then?

That was about 45-years ago. I don't remember much from back then. My grandpa had a pharmacy, 'Golf Acres Pharmacy'. He was quite the salty personality... but the town... sorry I can't help much.

85 posted on 06/22/2006 3:52:40 PM PDT by steveo (Fathers Against Rude Television: You may already be a member)
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To: spunkets
It's better though to be flat on the ground if there's an immanent strike.

Current recommendations are that you NOT lie flat on the ground.

http://www.lightningtalks.com/LightningSafety.htm#Lightning%20Crouch

http://www.srh.weather.gov/srh/jetstream/lightning/lightning_faq.htm (scroll down a bit on this one)

Strikes in your vicinity (100 ft. diameter circle) will travel through the ground and pass through your body (and heart) often from end to end. This is deadly. The new advice is that you go into a crouch with feet together, hands on knees, and head down, with eyes closed and ears covered. You will be a slightly higher target but nearby ground strikes will not pass through your heart.

That's why herds of animals in the open die. Current goes up a couple legs, through heart, down the other legs. If they are flat on the ground, the effect is the same.

86 posted on 06/22/2006 4:33:29 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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To: Mr. Brightside

OK, but was he doing 142 trying to outrun the lightning bolt?


87 posted on 06/22/2006 6:04:00 PM PDT by SFC Chromey (We are at war with Islamofascism, now ACT LIKE IT, PRESIDENT BUSH!)
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To: spunkets

"A couple of dinky pieces of rubber ain't going to do squat."

Sure they will... melt.


88 posted on 06/22/2006 6:04:48 PM PDT by SFC Chromey (We are at war with Islamofascism, now ACT LIKE IT, PRESIDENT BUSH!)
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To: steveo
...but the town... sorry I can't help much.

That's okay--I was just curious.

89 posted on 06/22/2006 7:45:39 PM PDT by American Quilter (Equal laws protecting equal rights...the best guarantee of loyalty and love of country. -- Madison)
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To: jk4hc4
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.

Myth. The rubber tires of the car protect you from lightening. Fact. It is the steel "sheel" around you that protects you by enabling the electrical current to pass by you (path of lowest resistance) and on to the ground.

90 posted on 06/22/2006 7:48:36 PM PDT by OmahaFields
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To: Gaffer
Sorry, don't buy it. Maybe at a high voltage to get the overall power (E=IR stuff) up, but not just 10s of mA. A 9 volt battery can do that....lick one with your tongue, it will sting but not kill you...

I suggest that you stay away from all electrical sources. Your lack of understanding could kill you.

91 posted on 06/22/2006 7:50:51 PM PDT by OmahaFields
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To: Right Wing Assault
That's why herds of animals in the open die.

From the NOAA site...


92 posted on 06/22/2006 8:36:21 PM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: OmahaFields
The "10s of milliamps" statement is not enough, it takes about 100mA to stop the heart(go look it up - it's easy enough).

Regardless of what you think There has to be some other factor involved with that: high voltage for one, conductivity, current path, cell heating, etc. Saying 10s of mA's by itself means nothing, despite your wisecracking comments to the contrary.

93 posted on 06/23/2006 4:16:43 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Gaffer
The chart in post #72. This chart show as little as 50 mA can stop breathing. This will be followed several minutes later by the heart stopping. Also, ventricular fibrillation can be caused by current of 25 to 200 mA through the heart. I've seen the number as low as 6 mA. VF usually leads to death in a short time.

Here is a quote from a medical website:

Extent of injury depends upon

* amount of current that passes through the body

* duration of current

* tissues traversed by the current

* Although the extent of injury is most directly related to amount of current (amperage) often only the voltage is known. In general, low voltage causes less injury but voltages as low as 50 V have caused fatalities. (I also seen it as 32 V)

http://www.aic.cuhk.edu.hk/web8/electrocution.htm

From Wikipedia, "A low-voltage (110 to 220 V), 60-Hz AC current traveling through the chest for a fraction of a second may induce ventricular fibrillation at currents as low as 60mA. With DC, 300 to 500 mA is required. If the current has a direct pathway to the heart (e.g., via a cardiac catheter or other electrodes), a much lower current of less than 1 mA, (AC or DC) can cause fibrillation. Fibrillations are usually lethal because all the heart muscle cells move independently."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_shock

If correct, this could be achieved by a 9 V battery applied directly to the heart.

54% of electrocutions of workers involve household wiring of 120 to 240 volts.

94 posted on 06/23/2006 6:12:52 AM PDT by Right Wing Assault ("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
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To: Gaffer
The "10s of milliamps" statement is not enough, it takes about 100mA to stop the heart(go look it up - it's easy enough). Regardless of what you think There has to be some other factor involved with that: high voltage for one, conductivity, current path, cell heating, etc. Saying 10s of mA's by itself means nothing, despite your wisecracking comments to the contrary.

From www.codecheck.com

Electrocution occurs when a small, specific amount of electrical current flows through the heart for 1 to 3 seconds. 0.006-0.2 Amps (that's 6-200mA milliamps) of current flowing through the heart disrupts the normal coordination of heart muscles. These muscles lose their vital rhythm and begin to fibrilate. Death soon follows.

From www.codecheck.com

95 posted on 06/23/2006 7:30:32 AM PDT by OmahaFields
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To: Gaffer

Read and learn .... before you die.


96 posted on 06/23/2006 7:32:10 AM PDT by OmahaFields
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To: Right Wing Assault; jk4hc4
Correct. There's also a misconception that you are safe in a car because "the tires insulate you."

Nope - what's happening is that the metal skin of the auto creates a "Faraday Cage" and the lightning courses over the skin of the car to the ground --- avoiding the occupants.

IOW, don't hang your arm out the window!

97 posted on 06/23/2006 7:35:35 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: spunkets

Well . . . I was in one when it was struck and walked away. The paint was melted and the tires looked funny, though. Didn't blow the windshield out, but this was an older car with the old "safety glass" not the new plastic-coated stuff.


98 posted on 06/23/2006 7:37:34 AM PDT by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: Mr. Brightside

When my wife and I were buying our two Miatas, the salesmanager was giving us a hard time.

We had driven the cars a few days before and decided to get both at the same time.

When we showed up to get the paperwork done, a freak lightning storm rolled in. Not much rain, but lots of lightning. In fact, just as we entered the showroom, a bolt hit not more than 50 feet from our old Mustang...more than once.

As we sat there, the salesmanager had the audacity to say, "Now, we aren't going to dot he paperwork unless you are serious about this." I stood up and pointed outside, "LOOK OUT THERE!" "DO YOU SEE THAT STORM? If we weren't serious, we would not have gone through that to be here. Now, get us our cars!"

I worked at the dealership a few years before. This was the same manager who I chewed out for screwing me out of a sale because he was such a jerk to a customer. I bought from the dealership because the owner was one of the best men in the business.


99 posted on 06/23/2006 7:48:36 AM PDT by Sensei Ern (http://www.myspace.com/reconcomedy/ "Born to be M-I-I-I-LD!")
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To: beltfed308
The nanny statists will require lightning rods on MC's next.

You do know that lightning rods attract electrical charges ...

100 posted on 06/23/2006 7:50:18 AM PDT by OmahaFields
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