A Pennsylvania truck driver died after being struck by lightning in a Waukesha County gas station parking lot during a severe thunderstorm, marking the first lightning-related fatality in the United States this year.
Peter Paul Garamone Sr., 41, of York, Pennsylvania, was walking through the parking lot of a Kwik Trip gas station near Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday night, April 15, when he was struck by lightning. A long-haul trucker for J.B. Hunt with a wife and son, Garamone reportedly called 911 himself before collapsing and becoming unresponsive.
The incident occurred around 7:43 p.m. as heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning swept through the Milwaukee area. The National Weather Service later confirmed the Kwik Trip location on Golf Road had been struck by lightning.
“There is a male on the ground. Unknown if he was breathing. Caller says he was possibly struck by lightning,” dispatch recordings captured as the Waukesha Police Department responded to the emergency call.
Bystanders at the gas station immediately attempted CPR on Garamone before police and fire personnel arrived. Emergency responders administered life-saving measures at the scene before transporting him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Waukesha Police Department and Waukesha County Medical Examiner are working to confirm the official manner and cause of death, though witnesses and physical evidence at the scene were consistent with a lightning strike.
“This is a tragic and rare event. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the Waukesha Police Department said in a statement.
Garamone had been driving his truck through the Milwaukee area when the severe weather hit. According to family members, the Pennsylvania native had just left the gas station and was heading back to his vehicle when the lightning struck.
The tragedy marks the fourth fatal lightning strike in Wisconsin in the past decade and underscores the deadly power of severe weather events that can turn routine stops into life-threatening situations.
Lightning safety experts from the National Lightning Safety Council emphasize that most strikes happen just feet from shelter, urging people to wait out storms rather than risk even brief exposure.
Chris Vagasky, a lightning data specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and member of the National Lightning Safety Council, explained the serious consequences of lightning strikes: “Even though the odds of it actually impacting anybody are low, when lightning impacts somebody, it’s a significant impact — lifelong injuries or fatalities.”
The statistics paint a sobering picture of lightning’s deadly potential. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 10% of lightning strike victims die from their injuries. Between 2006 and 2021, lightning claimed 444 lives across the United States.
About 20 people die each year from lightning strikes across the country, making it a relatively rare but consistently deadly weather hazard. The power behind these strikes is staggering — lightning is thousands of times more powerful than the electricity that runs through residential homes.
Geographic data from the CDC reveals that Florida, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have recorded the most lightning deaths and injuries over the period from 2006 to 2021. Wisconsin, by comparison, has recorded about 10 lightning-related deaths since 2006.
The Wednesday night incident rattled the Pewaukee community, where residents frequently stop at the Kwik Trip location for everyday errands.
Truck driver Greg Suttner, who pulled into the same Kwik Trip the following day, captured the disbelief many felt: “Is it something that you ever even think of — that you’d get struck by lightning just walking into a gas station?”
The Midwest has experienced severe weather in recent weeks, with thunderstorms bringing heavy rainfall, tornado warnings and dangerous lightning to communities across multiple states. Wednesday’s storm system proved particularly violent, creating conditions that turned a routine gas station stop into a fatal encounter.
As the first lightning-related fatality of 2026, Garamone’s death serves as an early reminder of the dangers that accompany spring and summer storm seasons. Weather experts stress the importance of seeking proper shelter at the first signs of thunderstorm activity rather than attempting to move quickly between locations.
The investigation continues as authorities work to provide final confirmation of the circumstances surrounding the truck driver’s death. The Waukesha County Medical Examiner will release official findings following the completion of their examination.
For Garamone’s family back in York, Pennsylvania, the loss represents an unimaginable tragedy — a routine work trip through Wisconsin cut short by a split-second encounter with one of nature’s most powerful forces.