Four injured in massive explosion after teenager throws a ‘homemade firework’ into a U-Haul filled with other fireworks at Fourth of July street party
- The incident happened in Toledo, Ohio, on Sunday shortly after 10.30pm
- Witnesses saw at least one teen throw a dynamite stick filled with gun powder into the back of a U-Haul
- The U-Haul was filled with legally-bought fireworks and there were others on the curb
- The explosion blew up the U-Haul and caused the fireworks on the street to go off
- People ran for their lives and screamed as the fireworks went off uncontrollably
- Four were injured but suffered non-life-threatening injuries and will survive
- The fire and rescue chief said it looked like ‘a war zone’ – they are investigating but so far no charges have been brought
Four people were injured on Sunday night after a teenager threw a lit firework into a U-Haul that was filled with other fireworks and triggered a massive explosion.
The incident happened on Sunday in Toledo, Ohio. Witnesses told local outlet The Blade that they were all enjoying a street party with their own, legally purchased fireworks lined up on the street and in the U-Haul when they saw the teenager run up to the back of a truck and toss his ‘homemade’ explosive inside.
They said it looked like a stick of dynamite with gun powder inside. One witness described seeing two teenagers run up and toss two fireworks into the truck, but police have not confirmed that.
It triggered an explosion inside the truck and also caused the fireworks resting on the curb to go off early too.
A huge fireball is shown where the truck exploded during the neighborhood street party in Toledo, Ohio, on Sunday night. Four people were injured
In a panicked video taken by a by-stander, people can be heard screaming and running for their lives while the fireworks go off spontaneously and in multiple directions.
‘It blew the U-Haul up, and from there it caught all of our fireworks that we had stacked up on the curb,’ Tevin Johnson, who was attending the street party, told The Toledo Blade.
Four people were injured and were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
All are expected to survive.
‘It was a lot of kids out here, it could have been way worse,’ Jones added.
They are 22-year-old Steven Thomas Dukeman, 19-year-old David Zuniga, and 55-year-old Dave Galdieux. The fourth person is not named.
A woman watching from her porch filmed as people ran away from the truck on Sunday night
Fireworks were already going off overhead, as planned, when the truck exploded, then they kept going off afterward
Police have not yet charged anyone but they are investigating.
They are 22-year-old Steven Thomas Dukeman, 19-year-old David Zuniga, and 55-year-old Dave Galdieux. The fourth person is not named.
‘We are very lucky there were no serious injuries or fatalities. First of all, it’s illegal. Second of all, let’s not be stupid,’ Toledo Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Byrd said.
He likened the scene to a ‘war zone’.
Police have not yet charged anyone but they are investigating.
‘What we do know is there was a storage area outside the truck and inside the truck that had fireworks that ignited, causing a very large explosion on the ground that continued shooting for 5 to 10 minutes.
‘This is something that we talked about before the holiday the dangers of using fireworks, because when they go bad they can go bad quickly,’ Private Sterling Rahe said.
The fire department shared pictures of the damaged U-Haul and the debris in the street afterwards
This was what was left in the street, where 150 people were gathered to watch a fireworks display