Elkhart, INDIANA – Today at approximately 9:35am, Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department officers and the Elkhart Coroner’s office began an investigation into the death of a 44 year old male who had died as the result of a firework’s accident at his home located at 54074 Independence St. in Elkhart.
The victim, who has been identified as Jose DeJesus Magallanes, suffered from head injuries after a firework’s explosion.
The Elkhart County Coroner’s office has ruled Magallanes’ death accidental due to blunt force trauma to the head.
In 2013, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 11,400 people for fireworks related injuries; 55% of those injuries were to the extremities and 38% were to the head.
The risk of fireworks injury is highest for young people ages 0-4, followed by children 10-14.
On July 4th in a typical year, far more U.S. fires are reported than on any other day, and fireworks account for two out of five of those fires, more than any other cause of fires.
