Aa
Man shoots off firework from top of his head, dies instantly
CALAIS, Maine (AP) — A 22-year-old man who was drinking and celebrating the Fourth of July tried to launch a firework off the top of his head, killing him instantly, authorities said Sunday.
Devon Staples and his friends had been drinking and setting off fireworks Saturday night in the backyard of a friend's home in eastern Maine, said Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety.
Staples, 22, of Calais, a small city on the Canadian border, placed a reloadable fireworks mortar tube on his head and told his friends he was going to light it, McCausland said. But his friends urged him to stop.
"Apparently, he thought that was a great idea," McCausland said. "His friends they thought dissuaded him from doing it, and the next thing they knew, he ignited the fireworks and he was killed instantly."
Staples's brother Cody told the Daily News of New York that he was a few feet away when his brother lit the firework and was the first to come to his side after it exploded.
"There was no rushing him to the hospital. There was no Devon left when I got there," said 25-year-old Cody Staples, who called it an accident.
"Devon was not the kind of person who would do something stupid. He was the kind of person who would pretend to do something stupid to make people laugh," he said.
Staples' death is the first fireworks fatality in Maine since the state legalized fireworks on Jan. 1, 2012, authorities said.
Lawmakers had voted to repeal a 1949 law banning fireworks, reasoning the industry would create jobs and generate revenue.
State fire marshals were also investigating several other Fourth of July fireworks accidents involving injuries in Friendship, Jefferson, Lebanon and Woodstock. They said most of the accidents involved burns and eye injuries.
In Montana on Saturday, a 32-year-old man was killed at a Billings home in a fireworks accident involving a mortar tube.
And in New Jersey, a 52-year-old man blew off a large piece of his left leg below the knee when he set off a tennis-ball sized firework in Leonia.
http://news.yahoo.com/police-man-shoots-off-firework-top-head-dies-135937499.html#
Devon Staples and his friends had been drinking and setting off fireworks Saturday night in the backyard of a friend's home in eastern Maine, said Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety.
Staples, 22, of Calais, a small city on the Canadian border, placed a reloadable fireworks mortar tube on his head and told his friends he was going to light it, McCausland said. But his friends urged him to stop.
"Apparently, he thought that was a great idea," McCausland said. "His friends they thought dissuaded him from doing it, and the next thing they knew, he ignited the fireworks and he was killed instantly."
Staples's brother Cody told the Daily News of New York that he was a few feet away when his brother lit the firework and was the first to come to his side after it exploded.
"There was no rushing him to the hospital. There was no Devon left when I got there," said 25-year-old Cody Staples, who called it an accident.
"Devon was not the kind of person who would do something stupid. He was the kind of person who would pretend to do something stupid to make people laugh," he said.
Staples' death is the first fireworks fatality in Maine since the state legalized fireworks on Jan. 1, 2012, authorities said.
Lawmakers had voted to repeal a 1949 law banning fireworks, reasoning the industry would create jobs and generate revenue.
State fire marshals were also investigating several other Fourth of July fireworks accidents involving injuries in Friendship, Jefferson, Lebanon and Woodstock. They said most of the accidents involved burns and eye injuries.
In Montana on Saturday, a 32-year-old man was killed at a Billings home in a fireworks accident involving a mortar tube.
And in New Jersey, a 52-year-old man blew off a large piece of his left leg below the knee when he set off a tennis-ball sized firework in Leonia.
http://news.yahoo.com/police-man-shoots-off-firework-top-head-dies-135937499.html#
Unfortunately, some of the reading I do is here so.... I guess that explains a lot. Whats that saying? "Life's hard. It's harder when you're stupid."
All the lessons you want won't curb stupidity mixed with alcohol. Either one makes the other that much more lethal.
SM, I burned the heck out of my hand lighting about 8 sparklers at once for a bunch of younger kids when I was about 9. Youth and ignorance got in my way. I had no clue the flash would be that big... it was and it hurt like hell.
All the lessons you want won't curb stupidity mixed with alcohol. Either one makes the other that much more lethal.
SM, I burned the heck out of my hand lighting about 8 sparklers at once for a bunch of younger kids when I was about 9. Youth and ignorance got in my way. I had no clue the flash would be that big... it was and it hurt like hell.
My husband gets really mad when I say that people should not be able to buy more than things like sparklers. He's a fireworks nut (bit of a pyro) but who doesn't know 'someone' who has gotten hurt at some point setting off fireworks? My husband this very day has a burn on his arm from 4th of July fireworks. (better him than our kids who were right there with him disturbing the peace in our backyard on 4th of July while I hid in the house).
What comes to mind for me is "you can't protect knuckleheads from themselves" and we are our own worst enemy.
What comes to mind for me is "you can't protect knuckleheads from themselves" and we are our own worst enemy.
Don't you read, the family blames the state for not educating the public on the dangers of fireworks, thinks we need to take a course, like a hunters course to learn not to shoot fireworks off the top of your head, DUH
I'm not much of a Christian but I can't help but think this is God's (or someone else's) way of cleaning up the gene pool. Sorry if that sounds insensitive. I think my sensitivity is all used up for the month.
Survival of the fitest/natural selection at work. Glad his gene's have been removed from the pool.
I had a firecracker blow up between my fingers one time. We were messing around and I was getting ready to toss it; someone said "hold it", so I did. Fortunately, I was holding it between my thumb and middle finger, had long fingernails and it only broke half my nail off. It bled horribly though. I haven't lit a firecracker since... I wasn't even drunk, just stupid!!
I can't imagine trying to set off fireworks from the top of my head, though...
I can't imagine trying to set off fireworks from the top of my head, though...
I am all for fireworks but when you drink and do anything you are going to do something dumb.
Wow! Fireworks gone bad. My cousin blew up a firework in his hand and lost a finger years ago. Alcohol and fireworks do NOT mix.
I might print this out for my darling husband as he has a thing for fireworks. I'm hoping our neighbors forgive us for all the noise and smoke from our yard on the 4th by the next 4th.
I might print this out for my darling husband as he has a thing for fireworks. I'm hoping our neighbors forgive us for all the noise and smoke from our yard on the 4th by the next 4th.
You must join this user group in order to participate in this discussion.
You are reading content posted in the Current Events . . . Group
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
