OGLETHORPE, Ga. -- A young police officer was to return to duty Monday afternoon. Nothing unusual, unless you've been struck by lightning.
Oglethorpe Chief Harold Cannon confirmed Monday that Officer Nicole Lucas Murillo, 23, had been struck by lightning a little after 5:30 p.m. Saturday as strong storms moved through the area.
The chief said that Murillo, who has been on the job about two years, was exiting her vehicle at Dollar General directly across the street from the police department, when lightning struck.
"It hit a car and caused no damage," Cannon said. "Witnesses said it (lightning) jumped from the car to her (Murillo) and knocked the radios off her body. It burned her fingers and toes."
Cannon said Murillo was taken to Flint River Community Hospital by ambulance and was kept overnight for observation because her heart rate was fluctuating. She was scheduled to return to work Monday afternoon, he said.
"It's just a freaky thing," Cannon said. "Where this happened, downtown, was hit pretty hard. The whole City's computers, radios and phones have all been down."
He said work crews were on site attempting to get service back up and running.
Copyright 2012 - Americus Times-Recorder, Ga.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
