A Long Island man died on Saturday evening after a firework he was lighting exploded in his face during a Fourth of July party, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
The victim, identified as Gabriel Ruiz-Urresto, 37, was at his Central Islip home when he ignited a “mortar style” pyrotechnic. The device detonated unexpectedly, striking him in the head and causing fatal injuries. Paramedics responded to the scene but were unable to save his life.
In a separate incident on the same night, another Long Island resident sustained serious injuries when a firework he lit exploded in his face. The 45-year-old man was on Callahans Beach during an Independence Day celebration when the incident occurred around 8:50 p.m. He was transported to Stony Brook Hospital University Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.