Qld: Lightning strikes police car

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2007
Qld: Lightning strikes police car

Three police officers have escaped unhurt when their patrol 4WD was struck by lightning
in regional Queensland overnight.

Sergeant CRAIG SHEPHERD and senior constables DEBBIE COUSINS and GLEN FLETCHER were
travelling along Mitchell-St George Road .. about five kays south of Mitchell .. west
of Brisbane .. when the lightning hit their vehicle about 12.30 this morning (AEST).

The bolt passed through a metal aerial and into the engine bay .. causing a complete
disruption of the vehicle's electrical equipment.

Sergeant FLETCHER says it meant the 4WD had to crawl back into town with its lights
and sirens blaring as the officers couldn't disconnect the wiring until they reached the
station.

None of the officers were injured.







Meanwhile .. storms around south-east Queensland overnight left many residents without power.

Residents in some Brisbane suburbs lost power for several hours because of fallen powerlines
when the storm hit around 2.30 this morning.

People living at Beerwah and Maleny on the Sunshine Coast also had their power supplies
disrupted from about 4.30 to 10 o'clock this morning.

A State Emergency Service spokesman says there were no major reported incidents from the storms.

And the Bureau of Meteorology says more major storms are expected in Queensland later today.

They're forecast for the Gulf of Carpentaria .. Central Highlands region .. St George
.. and Longreach in western Queensland .. as well as Brisbane and south east Queensland.

AAP RTV nm/crh

KEYWORD: LIGHTNING (BRISBANE)

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