Lightning Strike Destroys Corvette at Chevrolet Dealer

A C7 Corvette and other vehicles were destroyed when a bolt of lightning struck a gasoline tank at a Georgia Chevrolet dealer.

The Chevrolet Corvette just can’t seem to catch a break this week. A few days ago, we reported on the story of a C8 Corvette Stingray bursting into flames at Road Atlanta. Now we learn that just 160 miles south of that incident a C7 Corvette has been incinerated thanks to a lightning strike.

According to local news station WTVM an old gasoline storage tank was hit by lightning at the Sons Chevrolet dealership in Columbus, Georgia. The good news is that no one was injured by the strike and resulting fire. The bad news is at least one Corvette was not so lucky.

The Corvette was not the only vehicle destroyed by the lightning strike. A Ram panel van and several Chevy SUVs were also destroyed. But for us the biggest heartbreak is the C7 Corvette that will never see the road again. We imagine that you feel the same way. It is not clear if this was a customer car in for service or if the Corvette was on sale. Either way, it won’t be driving again. But maybe that LT1 under the hood could be salvaged?

Lightning Strikes Twice

The Corvette that caught fire at the Road Atlanta track was due to a blown rod that had pierced the gas tank and caused the fireball. That is thankfully an extremely rare occurrence. But so is a bolt of lightning striking an old gas storage tank just two hours away and sending another Corvette up in flames.

What are the odds of that? If you are a Corvette owner in Georgia, you might want to make sure to carry a fire extinguisher with you on your next drive. And put a couple extra around the garage for good measure.

Safe Inside

Even a fiberglass bodied car like the Corvette forms a faraday cage around the occupants. The frame of the Corvette is aluminum. This frame keeps the driver and passenger safe should a lightning bolt ever strike the car directly. The electricity would be directed around the outside of the vehicle and leave anyone inside unharmed.

However, this does not work so well should the lightning cause a gasoline explosion. There is one less Corvette in the world and that is sad. But no lives were lost and GM is still building Corvettes, so things are not all that bad after all.

Photos: WTVM; Chevrolet  

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Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the 1970s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.