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1 Killed, 3 Maimed in Fourth of July Fireworks Accidents

A misfired firework lodged in a Detroit man's chest, killing him almost instantly. In St. Joseph, three men were seriously injured in Fourth of July revelry that one witness said went beyond usual holiday pyrotechnics.

It was a dangerous – and in one case, deadly – Fourth of July weekend in Michigan.

One man lost his life and three others were seriously maimed by consumer fireworks, legalized in Michigan three years ago.

Among the casualties:

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Mike Aburouman of Detroit was celebrating the Fourth of July with his friends Friday when the firework he was lighting went out of control and lodged in his chest, ending his life, the Detroit Free Press reports.

In St. Joseph, three people were injured when one of them improperly tried to ignite a rocket with a short fuse Friday night, The Herald-Palladium reports. One man, 20, lost an eye; another, 31, lost two fingers; and a third man, 20, suffered a ruptured eardrum.

WXYZ Channel 7 Chief Meteorologist Dave Rexroth of lost an eye in a fireworks accident while vacationing with his family in Iowa City, IA, the station reports. Most consumer fireworks are illegal in Iowa.

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Aburouman’s friend Ron Mohlman told the Free Press he’s changed his opinions about consumer fireworks, which were legalized three years ago.

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“It’s a tragedy what happened last night. … I would never want to go through that again. It was horrible,” Mohlman told the newspaper. “People who mess with fireworks, I don’t want to be around none of that.”

In the St. Joseph accident, a witness reported seeing a white light and glow, then hearing a loud boom that shook the ground.

Katherine Kasischke, who lives close to the townhouse where the men were igniting the fireworks, said the Fourth of July revelry that injured the men created a disturbance in the neighborhood that lasted until almost midnight, creating not only noise but also a thick, rancid-smelling smoke.

She thinks legislators should have more closely regulated where fireworks can be ignited.

"If people want to set off these things ... and if they want to hurt themselves ... I'm OK with that, but not in residential neighborhoods," Kasischke told The Herald-Palladium.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said 2013 was a record year for fireworks-related accidents.


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