Fireworks Accident Causes 'Severe Hand Injuries' To District Heights Teen: Report

DISTRICT HEIGHTS, MD — A teenager in District Heights has suffered "severe hand injuries" after a fireworks accident shortly after 10:30 p.m. on July 4, authorities say.

Medics were called to the 1800 block of Addison Road South to a report of an injured teen and found him with injuries that were suffered while handling fireworks when the product exploded, according to a report from Prince George's County Fire/EMS.

The youth was treated and transported to a local trauma center. There are no charges at this time, but the incident is still under investigation.

"Our primary concern is for the health of this young man and his hand injuries," said Fire Chief Benjamin Barksdale in the report. "However, we can not look the other way when a law designed to prevent this type of life-changing injury is violated."

All consumer-purchased fireworks are illegal in Prince George's County. However, fireworks are often imported from surrounding jurisdictions where they are legal. Authorities say this incident is a good example of why such fireworks are illegal in PG County.

Violation of the law carries a penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

This is the third such injury in the last nine years in PG County, the last happening in Capitol Heights in 2015.

Image via PGFD