Adolescent Killed in Fireworks Accident
A 12-year-old boy was killed recently in a fireworks accident in Davidson County. Identified by the police as Antonio Braden, the accident happened on a Sunday night around 10:45 p.m. on Lewis Street in Nashville. This accident comes only a few days before the Fourth of July festivities and serves as a grave reminder of the dangers associated with certain products advertised for the holiday.
Antonio lived on Braden Street in Nashville and was with a group of teenage friends last weekend. They were setting off bottle rockets and Roman candle fireworks in the street. A neighbor, Joshua Woods, 24, began setting off artillery style firework shells. According to police, Mr. Woods purchased this type of firework from a stand just outside of Davidson County.
Mr. Woods noticed two of the boys grab two of the unexploded artillery fireworks and asked Antonio to get one of them from his friend who had thrown the shell and caused it to break. Mr. Woods said that he saw Antonio holding one of the tubes aimed towards the sky when another kid lit the firework. It made a strange sound, and afterwards Antonio ran about 30 feet before he collapsed.
Antonio was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. As of now, no charges have been filed in this case, and police are working to dispose of the remaining artillery style fireworks purchased by Mr. Woods. While it is legal to possess fireworks in Davidson County, it is illegal by municipal ordinance to buy, sell, or use fireworks in the Nashville Metro area. Violations of this ordinance can result in citations, fines, and confiscation of the illegal fireworks.
Fireworks Accidents
According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2011 fireworks caused an estimated 17,800 fires including 1,200 structure fires, 400 vehicle fires, and 16,300 outdoors fires. These fires resulted in eight deaths, 40 injuries, and around $32 million in property damage. The Fourth of July sees more fires than any other day of the year, and fireworks account for 40 percent of the fires on that day.
In 2013, hospitals across the country saw around 11,400 patients for fireworks- related injuries with 55 percent treated for extremities injuries and 38 percent for head injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that there was an increase in the number of fireworks-related injuries and death that year. Eight people died that year as a result of fireworks. Of these people, 7,400 incidents of people being injured or killed by fireworks happened in the 30 days surrounding the Fourth of July.
Fireworks-related injuries and deaths happen for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common causes cited by reports include playing with lit fireworks, lighting the firework while holding the device, malfunctioning fireworks, errant flight paths, devices that fell over, and blowouts.
Contact Our Office Today
If you or someone that you know has been injured in a fireworks accident in the Nashville area, let the experienced personal injury lawyers at Calhoun Law, PLC help. Call the office or contact us today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.
