I experienced either a direct hit, or a very close one, while riding in a 1968
Ford LTD as a child. It happened just as we crested an overpass in a severe
thunderstorm at night. Brilliant blue-white flash with instant crash-boom sound
and very strong ozone odor. None of us inside the car felt anything like an
electrical shock at all. The engine died and we coasted to the side of the road.
There were no visible markings of damage on the exterior of the car, but the
AM/FM radio in the dash and my dad's CB radio were zapped, and several small
light bulbs in the instrument panel were burned out too. The engine almost would
not restart, and the car required a new alternator, regulator, ignition switch
and battery before it would ever keep the battery charged again.