A northern Kentucky man died after shortening the wick of a commercial-grade firework.
Brian Simpson, 48, of Florence, died Tuesday night after cutting the wick of a “commercial-grade firework designed for electronic detonation via a homemade mortar tube,” Fox19.com reports.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident in the 200 block of Melina Lane in Florence at approximately 10:30 Tuesday night.
“It looked like he had modified the lighting fuse, the wick a little bit to go off at a quicker time,” Boone County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Chriss Hall told the news outlet. “When you cut it, it explodes faster, so it’s not giving yourself much time to avoid injury.”
Investigators said after cutting and lighting the wick, the firework exploded immediately.
(Photo: Brian Simpson, courtesy of WKRC.com)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
