Utah Contractor Casey Pettus Survives Lightning Strike, Son Offers Savings

On an Interstate 15 stretch in Utah, contractor Casey Pettus’s truck was struck by lightning, igniting a fire that destroyed the vehicle and thousands of dollars in tools. Pettus escaped without injury, steering the disabled truck to the shoulder despite loss of power steering and heavy rain.

After the incident, his 9‑year‑old son handed him a wad of cash saved from a neighborhood trash‑can business, offering the money to replace the lost tools. Pettus declined, saying insurance would cover the loss, but described the gesture as profoundly moving.

The event was noted by Utah Highway Patrol as only the second lightning‑on‑vehicle incident the officer had witnessed in his career.