It's the most frightening video from Wednesday night's severe thunderstorm in Missoula. Two teens trying to drive home when they were trapped under power poles snapping off like match sticks on Lower Miller Creek Road.

It's also one of the best lessons from the big storm. Be patient, pray, and listen to your parents.

Today, Bennett Peterson can celebrate his 16th birthday, while his best friend, Cooper Green shares in the memory the two will never forget.

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It started as a drive home after a day of fun

The Sentinal High School sophomores were heading home from their friends' house, finishing a day at the lake, when the storm hit Wednesday night, just east of Jeannette Rankin Elementary School.

Cooper Green (L) and Bennett Peterson (R); Dennis Bragg photo
Cooper Green (L) and Bennett Peterson (R); Dennis Bragg photo
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"It really started to pick up and the dust was just going crazy. We couldn't even see where we were going at that point," Bennett, who was driving, told me. "We probably should have just stopped."

He says they came to where a big metal power pole was sparking as they made the corner.

"That was freaking crazy. Then we just kept driving and then got to here", he said, pointing to the car still under the downed lines that came down with them under a span.

Caught on video

Cooper was capturing the storm as it happened.

"I was trying to video lightning because I thought it was cool," hoping to turn it to "slow-mo" video later, hence no audio on the clip.

"I started like looking over here and there was huge gusts of wind. So I I turned my phone over there and then I started pointing it just around. And then I pointed it up at the pole and it started sparking."

He kept rolling until Bennett slammed on the brakes.

The boys just missed being hit by these poles behind them: Dennis Bragg photo
The boys just missed being hit by these poles behind them: Dennis Bragg photo
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A decision to make

The pair couldn't see the half dozen poles downed in front of them, but tried not to panic, even as the first pole "exploded".

"We were just like panicking," Bennett admits. "Like, what should we do?"

They couldn't reach 911, where dispatchers were swamped with calls. So they called their parents, who warned them to stay inside and not open the doors or windows.

"Everyone told us to pray and that they were praying for us," Cooper recalls. "That was like one of the main things."

"Like they told us to do," Bennett agrees.

Dennis Bragg photo
Dennis Bragg photo
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Waiting it out

Trapped inside the hot car for what may have been "two hours", they admit talking about "how we were gonna die", but then told me they figured out they were going to be "okay". They even started calling other family and friends to see if they were unharmed. It was still a relief when others got to the scene, making sure the lines were shut off and they could get out.

Dennis Bragg photo
Dennis Bragg photo
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Their advice for others?

"I'd probably say you just don't panic," Cooper says. "You're going to be OK. Nothing bad is really gonna happen, I don't think."

And Bennett says listen to your parents.

"Yes, definitely. And I would say like even if you're in this the same situation as us, just stay in the car like that's what we did and we're still here. So yeah." 

Missoula County: What You Need to Know After the Severe ThunderStorm 

Thousands of Customers Still Need Power After Montana Storm 

 

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