Two Die from Lightning Strike at Southwest Missouri Cemetery

Two people died, another person was seriously injured, when lightning struck at a southwest Missouri cemetery this morning. Eyewitnesses say a thunderstorm rolled in during a graveside service at Clear Creek Cemetery west of Springfield. At least four mourners sought shelter under a tree and then fell to the ground when lightning struck the tree. One eyewitness, Charles Turk, says the strike burst into a ball of fire and traveled down the tree until it struck four elderly people who seemed to fall over in slow motion. Some at the scene attempted to perform CPR until ambulances arrived. Authorities say two people have died and another has been hospitalized in critical condition.