New Jersey

NJ Man Blows Off Chunk of Leg with Fireworks: Police

A northern New Jersey man blew off part of his left leg in a Fourth of July fireworks accident, police said Sunday.

The man, a 52-year-old resident of Leonia, also suffered a compound fracture in that leg and serious burns to his right leg around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, police said.

The man, whose name wasn't disclosed, lit a large firework but then dropped it. When the device detonated, it threw him back about four feet and blew off "a large piece" of his left leg below the knee, police said.

Details about the firework were not disclosed, but witnesses described it as the size of a tennis ball.

The man was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center.

Authorities said he could face criminal charges because fireworks are illegal in New Jersey. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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