ESSEX COUNTY, N.Y. -- A night of fun turns to disaster after fireworks hit spectators and workers at a Friday Night fireworks display in Ticonderoga.
The Essex County Sheriff's Department says a total of 5 people were hit during the show. It happened around 10:40 p.m. at the little league field.
The Sergeant says a 6-inch firework exploded prematurely as it was lit. We're told the piece from the explosive flew about 200 feet into the crowd hitting a man.
A night of fun turns to disaster after two fireworks hit spectators and workers at a Friday Night fireworks display in Ticonderoga.
The Sergeant says that man was rushed to the hospital with leg injuries. Fragments from this second firework hit a Vermont man and Christopher Feith, 16, from Port Henry. We spoke with the father of Christopher who says the night was a tragic experience.
"There were a few hundred spectators in the area, and they just came across the field about two feet above the field, I talked to the investigator and he told me.. the fireworks prematurely exploded inside the chamber used to launch the fireworks, And shrapnel ended up knocking over other fireworks that were already ignited and that's when the explosion happened," said Chris Feith, Sr.
The 16-year-old has 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his chest and 1st degree burns on his neck and on his hand.
Sheriff's office Officials say two workers from the Pyro Engineering Inc Bay Fireworks Company were also injured during the show.