LONG POND -- A man was killed and nine others were hurt by two lightning strikes at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.
A weekend of fun ended in tragedy at the big NASCAR race at Pocono Raceway.
Severe thunderstorms rolled through during the Pennsylvania 400 NASCAR race and shortly after the race was called, the unimaginable happened: lightning struck two different spots, killing one man and injuring nine others.
The name of the person killed has not been released.
“I didn't see nothing, but a bang, and a flash, and people laying on the ground, that's all I saw,” said Tom Rinaldo of Reading.
Brandon Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway president made the announcement.
“One of the injured has been…declared deceased at the Pocono Mountain Medical Center this evening."
Ambulances rushed to the scene and emergency responders quickly tried to help several victims who were hurt.
Officials said lightning struck near gate three, and in the parking lot behind the grandstands.
There was a charred area of ground marking the spot where the bolt hit.
"There were ambulances coming, Troy ran over there, that girl ran over there, it was a mess,” one race fan recounted.
The Monroe County EMA alert system issued a severe thunderstorm warning just after 4 p.m. and lightning struck outside the NASCAR race track just after 5 p.m.
"Unfortunately, a member of our racing family has passed. On behalf of myself and the family and everyone here, it is our heartfelt, you know, that this has happened,” Igdalsky added.