From our April 12, 2001, edition.

Lightening takes out sheriff's new pickup 

Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

God lit up the life of Donley County’s sheriff last week… literally.

Lightening struck the patrol truck of Sheriff Butch Blackburn the evening of last Friday, April 6, while he was storm chasing on the JA Ranch Road near the old Kent place.

Blackburn realized the pickup had been hit when the engine died, and he coasted to the side of the road. He said the bolt shook the truck but did not shock him.

“The instrument panel started doing all kinds of crazy stuff, and the headlights were burning very brightly and wouldn’t turn off,” he said.

The lightening apparently struck the antennae, vaporizing most of it and turning the remainder from black to purple. The aerial was located on the left front fender. The electricity went to ground by blowing out the right rear tire. The radio and other electrical instruments were fried.

Blackburn said he had been near another lightning strike several years ago. A bolt hit an electrical transformer about 80 feet from him, and he said that was plenty close.

The county pickup Blackburn was driving was brand new. He just signed the papers on it last month.

The storm Blackburn was chasing Friday brought 0.40 of rain to Clarendon, and high winds associated with the storm did a lot of damage throughout the Panhandle region.