Father of 15 Dies After Being Struck by Lightning During Storm: 'He Was Our Everything,' Says Wife
Daryl Lewis, a beloved Pennsylvania father of 15 and husband, died after being struck by lightning during a storm last week.
Lewis, 50, was driving across Ohio with his father and one of his children on July 6 when his truck broke down during a severe storm, reported ABC station WTAE-TV. His wife, Tanya Lewis, told the outlet that he then went outside to try to fix his vehicle "so he could finish his route."
While on the side of the road, he was struck by lightning, according to a GoFundMe organized to help support his family.
"The next phone call I got was my frantic 10-year-old screaming and crying," Tanya told WTAE-TV. "They were doing CPR and putting him into an ambulance."
Ohio State Patrol tells PEOPLE that when they arrived on the scene, they found Lewis "laying on the shoulder" of I-75 in Sidney. "A witness said the motorist was broke down on the roadside where he was struck by lightning," authorities said in a statement. Troopers rendered aid until emergency services arrived.
Police told WTAE-TV that the Dayton coroner confirmed that Lewis had been struck by lightning.
GoFundMe Daryl Ray Lewis
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One day after being struck, Lewis died.
"Medical staff work[ed] around the clock to care for Daryl," a family friend wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Unfortunately on July 7th, 2022 it was learned that Daryl had no brain activity."
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Lewis was a father of 15 children and also a grandfather of three, according to WTAE-TV.
"I have his kids, I have my kids and then we adopted because we never had any of our own (together)," his wife told the outlet.
"[We're] broken, very broken," she added. "He was our everything."
Courtesy Tanya Lewis
Lewis was also remembered by loved ones for his big heart.
"To say he was a great man would be the biggest understatement ever," a family friend wrote in a social media tribute. "His exterior read hard working tough guy but in the presence of his kids and family he was a soft [and] compassionate man."
"He found joy in helping others no matter the circumstances. My family and myself are better people for knowing him and will cherish the memories forever," they wrote.
The GoFundMe to help the Lewis family has raised over $6,000 as of Thursday.
