Lightning struck a motorcyclist in Florida, cracking his helmet and causing his death

DELAND, Fla. — Authorities in Florida say lightning struck a motorcyclist on a Florida interstate, causing a crash and his death.

The Florida Highway Patrol tells news outlets that the lightning strike hit the driver Sunday afternoon as he rode south on Interstate 95, cracking the 45-year-old's now-burning helmet and sending him off the roadway.

He was pronounced dead at the scene in east-central Florida. Florida troopers say an off-duty Virginia state trooper witnessed the lightning strike and its aftermath.

WOGX-TV says authorities confirmed the motorcyclist was a 45-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina. His identity wasn't immediately released.

Being fatally struck by lightning while riding a motorcycle is rare but not unprecedented. According to John Jensenius, a meteorologist with the National Lightning Safety Council, 10 lightning fatalities related to motorcycles have been reported since 2006. In several of those cases, however, he added that the rider was not on the motorcycle when they were struck.

 Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY