HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A Henrico grandmother and grandfather are recuperating in the hospital after they were injured in a lightning strike Wednesday evening.
The bolt struck near the parking lot of Pocahontas Middle School around 6 p.m.
The couple, who had been watching their granddaughter play in a soccer game, were walking back to their car after the game had ended when they were struck.
The couple were transported to VCU Medical Center where they are listed in stable condition.
"It was so loud that it made my ears ring," said Tracey Leverty, who saw what happened and called 911.
Tracey Leverty
"She literally just looked like she was was out cold," Leverty added. "Another woman came over and was trying to see if there was any type of a pulse whatsoever."
Leverty wonders if changes could be made that would prevent incidents like this from happening again.
Henrico guidelines currently dictate that referees determine when conditions warrant a suspension of play.
But as Leverty points out, the storm clouds arrived during a crucial part of the game. It was tied and there were just minutes left.
Leverty suggested that someone should be designated a "weather watcher" who is not in the midst of calling the action.
"We all have apps on our phones," Leverty explained.
Download the CBS 6 Weather Authority app for the most advanced tool (including lightning tracker) to keep you up-to-date on the ever-changing weather in Central Virginia. [iPhone/iPad Download Link|Android App Download Link ]
Pocahontas Middle School soccer field.
Henrico County Public Schools Spokesman Andy Jenks said that the school system will determine if changes are needed.
"It's probably a little too early to say what -- if anything -- could or should be done differently next time," Jenks said.
CBS 6 Meteorologist Mike Stone described the Wednesday storm as a cell that "popped up" and could not easily be predicted by looking at radar.
"There have been some reports of lightning striking 20 miles from the parent cloud. That is why somebody can say a bolt came out of the blue," Stone said.
The storm cell.
