Hey Doug, from something I saw on MSN.com today, it looks like bike riders have to look up as well as down and all-around when out riding in your state...
From MSN.com today:
Motorcyclist ‘doing well’ after he’s struck by lightning in Chehalis
These photos show the outside, left, and inside of the motorcylist’s helmet after this morning’s lightning strike. (KING-TV photo)
A motorcycle rider survived after being struck by lightning on Interstate 5 in Chehalis this morning.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes at milepost 76, but the 59-year-old rider kept riding another four miles before meeting up with paramedics, according to Times news partner KING-TV.
A couple who had been driving behind him told Lewis County Sirens, a local crime blog, that they saw the flash and stopped to help.
At first, when Martin Zapalac saw lightning had “lit up” the motorcyclist’s helmet, he wondered if he imagined it, but then he saw the man lean forward and move into to the shoulder of the freeway. The couple went with the rider to an AM/PM off 13th Street, where they met arriving firefighters and paramedics, Lewis County Sirens reported.
A 911 call from a witness said the lightning appeared to have burned the side of the motorcyclist’s head. Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn said the lightning strike blew out the padding inside the helmet.
The rider was taken to Centralia Hospital. His condition was not released, but Finn tweeted that he is “doing well.”
I found another article about this on the web. The other article also had another photo.
The additional information says the bike antenna was burned as well and the new photo showed what appeared to be a microphone inside the helmet. I betcha the lightning hit the bike antenna, travelled through the communication system wiring and smoked all of it - including what was inside the guys helmet.
Based on this I'm not going to worry since I don't have any "lightening rods" reaching toward the clouds on my bike. Riding is actually an escape break to get away from the cell phone.
From MSN.com today:
Motorcyclist ‘doing well’ after he’s struck by lightning in Chehalis
A motorcycle rider survived after being struck by lightning on Interstate 5 in Chehalis this morning.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes at milepost 76, but the 59-year-old rider kept riding another four miles before meeting up with paramedics, according to Times news partner KING-TV.
A couple who had been driving behind him told Lewis County Sirens, a local crime blog, that they saw the flash and stopped to help.
At first, when Martin Zapalac saw lightning had “lit up” the motorcyclist’s helmet, he wondered if he imagined it, but then he saw the man lean forward and move into to the shoulder of the freeway. The couple went with the rider to an AM/PM off 13th Street, where they met arriving firefighters and paramedics, Lewis County Sirens reported.
A 911 call from a witness said the lightning appeared to have burned the side of the motorcyclist’s head. Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn said the lightning strike blew out the padding inside the helmet.
The rider was taken to Centralia Hospital. His condition was not released, but Finn tweeted that he is “doing well.”
I found another article about this on the web. The other article also had another photo.
The additional information says the bike antenna was burned as well and the new photo showed what appeared to be a microphone inside the helmet. I betcha the lightning hit the bike antenna, travelled through the communication system wiring and smoked all of it - including what was inside the guys helmet.
Based on this I'm not going to worry since I don't have any "lightening rods" reaching toward the clouds on my bike. Riding is actually an escape break to get away from the cell phone.
