York trucker becomes nation's first lightning fatality of 2026

Garamone was walking through a Kwik Trip parking lot at Grandview and Golf Road in Waukesha, Wisconsin, around 7:43 p.m. when he was struck by lightning during heavy storm conditions. Waukesha Police Department said surveillance video captured the moment Garamone was struck. He was found unresponsive on the pavement and rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to his Facebook profile, Garamone was a long-haul trucker with a wife and son. His death marks a sobering reminder of weather-related dangers faced by professionals who spend significant time on the road and exposed to the elements. While lightning fatalities remain relatively rare, the National Lightning Safety Council reports that approximately 20 people die each year from lightning strikes across the United States. Garamone's death marks Wisconsin's second lightning fatality in just seven months. The Waukesha County Medical Examiner has not yet publicly released the official manner and cause of death.