Teen seriously injured in fireworks accident in Somers

A teenager has serious injuries after a fireworks accident in Somers on the Fourth of July.

Firefighters were called to Springfield Road shortly before 11 p.m. after getting a report of a fireworks accident with injuries.

Emergency crews arrived and said learned two people had been injured when an illegal fireworks display stand tipped over and launched toward a crowd.

According to fire officials, a 16-year-old female was the most seriously injured with severe burns to her chest. She was transported to Baystate Hospital in Springfield to be stabilized and was then flown to a burn center in Boston.

Somers Fire Department Chief John Roache said the firework appears to have been illegal, and a two-inch mortar had tipped over and shot, basically hitting her directly in the chest.

The second person who was injured in the incident was treated at the scene.

“People think to treat them [fireworks] like a toy. They go, 'hey this is fun, this is something we can entertain with,' but even with the sparklers, the material that’s coming off them is over 1,000 degrees sometimes. You can get some serious burns and some serious injuries," Roache said.

The Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosives Investigation Unit is now investigating the incident.

“These things are really dangerous. They’re explosives in cardboard, too, so let the professionals handle it, enjoy the professional shows is the best advice," Roache said.