A 14-year-old girl washing her family’s car was hit by lightning about 12:20 p.m. today in Littleton, according to the West Metro Fire Protection District.
The bolt did not directly hit the teenager, according to Michelle French, spokeswoman for the fire district. Rather, the bolt hit the street and electricity traveled up a stream of water flowing from the washed vehicle to the teenager.
French said the girl was conscious and breathing and was taken to Swedish Medical Center as a “precaution.”
The incident happened in the 12000 block of West Cooper Drive.
French said that an early afternoon storm has seen an “unusual” number of lightning strikes to the southern and western suburbs.
She said that at 11:38 a.m. a lightning strike caused a small grass fire in the vicinity of Quaker Street and Golden Road in Golden. She said West Metro quickly responded and put out the fire.
At 12:40 p.m., a lightning strike hit a tree next to a home at West Temple Drive and South Xenophon Street in Morrison. She said the house was not damaged.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
