Rocket League caster struck by lightning mid-series

Professional Rocket League player and caster Jaime ‘Karma’ Bickford was covering a match on June 28 – in the midst of a local thunderstorm – when she was zapped through her controller thanks to an electrical surge.

Residing in Boston, Bickford was going about her day commentating a Rocket League matchup. What the pro didn’t account for, however, was just how big an impact that the weather in her area would have.

As a 1v1 series neared the 30-minute mark, a loud jolt of electricity could be heard followed by a sudden scream.

The caster’s neighborhood was struck by lightning and that electricity trickled all the way through to her controller. While she suffered minor injuries, Bickford was heroically able to cast the rest of the series.

“I’m fine,” she assured her concerned viewers almost a minute after the sudden shock. “I think lightning just struck my house and went through my controller into my hands.”

Twitch chat suggested she take a break and have someone else cast the remainder of the match. Despite the evident pain, she pushed through for another 15 minutes before ending the broadcast.

“We’re having bad thunderstorms here. Apparently my house got hit and it went through my controller and shocked my hands. I’m completely fine. I just got scared and my hands burned for a little bit,” she explained after.

After switching gears and casting the end of the game, she turned her camera back on and addressed the audience. Detailing how the electricity must have passed from her neighbors’ house, causing her controller to spark.

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“The house next door to me got struck by lightning. It’s not on fire. It must have gone down through the house and somehow hit me,” she said. “The controller sparked…really big sparks…and just burned my hands.”

She soon sought medical attention and reassured the Rocket League community that everything was ok. “Talking to [a] doctor,” she later followed up on Twitter. “Hands are burned and [the] controller is broken. Unlucky.”

While the controller may have seen its last game, thankfully Bickford will be able to make her return after recovering from the burns.