Woman rescued after lightning strike traps her in burning car

A good Samaritan and a police officer saved a Minnesota woman's life May 7th when lightning struck her vehicle and it burst into flames.

KEYC reports Anna Smith was driving down a highway near Lake Crystal when her car stalled. She called for help and told police her car had died. An officer was sent to help.

Moments after the call, a bolt of lightning struck Anna's vehicle, engulfing it in flames. The shock killed the car's electricity, locking the doors and trapping Anna inside.

Footage from a dash cam released by the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Department shows Officer Chris Burban racing to save Anna.

"The whole thing until I got her back to my car was I've got to get her out, and again, nobody is burning to death if I can help it."

Michael Smith, 18, who is not related to Anna Smith, was driving by when he saw the car burst into flames and the officer breaking the window to get Anna out.

That's Michael running across the road to help, as KMSP reports, Officer Burban.

"The whole thing was going to go I thought, so I wanted to get her out as quick as possible. I didn't know how long she had."

The two men worked together to pull Anna from the vehicle and to safety. Unbelievably, the three only suffered minor cuts.

Ironically though, before it burst into flames, the car was offering Anna some protection.

According to Accuweather.com, a fully enclosed metal vehicle is one of the safest places to be during a lightning storm. In fact, if you're driving, it's best to pull to the side of the road and wait out the storm. Make sure not to touch anything inside the vehicle.

As for Anna and the men who rescued her, this story of bad luck turned good is likely one they'll never forget.