Woman and horse killed by lightning strike on popular riding trail
SEDALIA, Colo. -- A 36-year-old woman was killed by a lightning strike as she rode her horse on a trail in Colorado.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office identified the rider killed Sunday as Laura Miller. She was riding along the trail with a 15-year-old girl, a family friend, when lightning hit them as a strong thunderstorm moved through the Denver area.
Miller was a resident of the Rainbow Creek community west of Sedalia. Her mother was also riding a horse nearby when the strike occurred, CBS Denver reports. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene, along with her horse.
The 15-year-old was conscious and taken to the hospital in serious condition. The sheriff's office says her condition later improved but it didn't have any details on how she was doing on Monday.
"There was a storm that was about 10 minutes ahead of them, and a storm they could see behind them," deputy Jason Blanchard told CBS Denver.
Several residents said they were home when the lightning struck. Most recalled hearing at least three strikes. Some residents said the thunder caused their homes to shake.
"The thunder was loud. My dogs went running for cover," resident Steve Young told CBS Denver. "It was loud. You could hear the sizzle."
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records, this was the first lightning-related death in the United States in 2017.