News for Lightning strikes Jesus statue in Ohio

King of Kings or Touchdown Jesus statue was a 62-foot (19 m)-tall statue of Jesus on the east side of Interstate 75 at the Solid Rock Church, a 4000+ member Christian megachurch near Monroe, Ohio, in the United States.

The statue was set at the head of a baptismal pool with fountains and colored lights, located on the Interstate-facing side of the church's outdoor amphitheater. It depicted Jesus from the chest up, with his arms and head raised to the sky.


The statue had a 42-foot (13 m) span between its upraised hands and a 40-foot (12 m) Christian cross at its base.

Christ with his arms raised along a highway was struck by lightning in a thunderstorm Monday night and burned to the ground, police said.

The "King of Kings" statue, one of southwest Ohio's most familiar landmarks, had stood since 2004.The lightning strike set the statue ablaze around 11:15 p.m., Monroe police dispatchers said.

The fire spread from the statue to an adjacent amphitheater but was confined to the attic area, and no one was injured, police Chief Mark Neu said. The fire department would release a monetary damage estimate Tuesday, he said.

Early Tuesday, church officials said the statue would be resurrected.

The better-known “Touchdown Jesus” — a mural at the University of Notre Dame — remained unscathed.