Heart-stopping moment caught on dashcam as lightning turns routine stop into near-death experience

A routine stop turned into a heart-stopping near-death experience for Simon Somervail from Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia, as a lightning strike sent a tree crashing down just seconds after he moved from beneath it. The harrowing incident, captured on dashcam, shows Somervail narrowly escaping disaster and then jokingly mentioning buying a lottery ticket after the close encounter.

Simon Somervail, a resident of Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia, experienced a life-threatening situation when a lightning strike caused a tree to crash down just seconds after he moved from beneath it. The dramatic incident was captured on a dashcam from the car behind him, showing the precise moment when the lightning struck, seemingly causing the tree to explode and collapse onto Somervail’s car.

Despite the startling footage, Somervail managed to escape unharmed, and he humorously mentioned buying a lottery ticket after the incident. The dashcam footage reveals Somervail opening his car, parked under the tree, before realizing he had forgotten his wallet. After stepping out of the car to retrieve it, the lightning struck, and the tree collapsed on his vehicle. While Somervail escaped injury, the car was written off by insurers, showcasing the extent of the destruction caused by the fallen tree.

 Social media users expressed their astonishment at Somervail’s fortunate escape, with many acknowledging the sheer luck involved. Comments on Somervail’s Instagram post included expressions of disbelief, relief, and encouragement to buy a lottery ticket. The dashcam footage captured the dramatic sequence of events, leaving viewers in awe of the unpredictable and potentially life-threatening forces of nature.