Crime & Safety

MontCo Man Loses Fingers in Fireworks Accident

There were nearly 8,700 similar fireworks-related injuries in 2012, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Written by Brittany Tressler, Reported by Keith Heffintrayer and Alyson D'Alessandro.

A Montgomery County man lost several fingers in Norristown Thursday night, after a firework reportedly exploded in his hand, marking one of what officials expect to be multiple July Fourth-related injuries.

Police and emergency medical personnel responded to the area of Astor Street and Harding Boulevard at 8:30 p.m. for a report of an amputation, where they encountered a male victim who was missing several fingers, according to MontcoAlerts. 

According to a witness, the man had been lighting M-80s in the area prior to the accident; he had been placing them on the ground, but when he lit one in his hand, it exploded almost immediately. 

This incident came on the heels of a report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which reported eight deaths and nearly 9,000 injuries from explosives in 2012.

Between June 22, 2012 and July 22, 2012, more than 5,000 consumers were treated in hospital emergency rooms due to fireworks-related injuries. Sixty percent of all fireworks injuries occur during the 30 days surrounding the July 4 holiday. 

More than half of these reported injuries involved burns to the hands, head and face, and roughly 1,000 reported injuries involved sparklers and bottle rockets,fireworks that are frequently and incorrectly considered safe for young children.

"These figures represent more than numbers; they represent the lives of real people who have been affected well beyond the Fourth of July," said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "The federal government is working hard to keep the public safe by monitoring the ports, the marketplace, and the transportation of fireworks.  Now, we need consumers to do their part and celebrate safely."

For more on firework safety, click here.


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