A Gold Coast man's work ute was destroyed after a lightning bolt struck the vehicle, causing it to explode into flames. The incident occurred on Sunday night in Upper Coomera, where Jason Stolzenberth was inside his home when his family heard a loud crack.
Stolzenberth told 7NEWS that the strike produced a massive bang, followed by the car horn sounding. He could smell the wiring burning inside the ute. Neighbors used garden hoses to fight the flames until firefighters arrived to extinguish the fire.
The ute has been nicknamed Lightning McQueen, after the famous red racing car from Disney's animated film. Stolzenberth described the event as a one-in-a-million occurrence and joked that it was time to buy a Lotto ticket.
Meanwhile, 7NEWS meteorologist Tony Auden warned of more thunderstorms in Queensland. He said storms are likely in a band from the southeast through central districts and up to the tropics, with damaging wind gusts being the most probable hazard for the southeast region.
