Lightning near school bus stop injures four adults in El Mirage

Four adults were hospitalized after a lightning strike occurred near an elementary school bus drop-off in El Mirage, Arizona, on Friday morning.

The El Mirage Police Department reported that first responders arrived just after 8:30 a.m. to the scene at El Mirage Elementary School. All four injured individuals were conscious and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Capt. Joseph Rivera of the El Mirage Fire Department stated that none of the victims were directly hit by the bolt. He noted that one woman was holding an umbrella at the time and reported pain in both of her arms.

Carrie, a librarian at the El Mirage Library located across the street, was completing her morning routine when the strike happened. She described the sound as immediate and loud enough to make her jump. “The lightning and the thunder were right on top of each other, so loud that it made me jump,” she said. “It felt like the building almost shook.” Following the initial strike, she observed at least a dozen car alarms activating across the street before heavy rain began to fall.

The incident took place during the first round of storms moving through the Phoenix area. Fast-moving weather systems started passing through the region around 8 a.m., bringing hail and heavy rain to Peoria, Sun City, and Buckeye.