The 22-year-old's death was a freak accident, witnesses say

Jul 6, 2015 12:00 GMT  ·  By

Over the weekend, on Saturday, folks in the US got together to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and fireworks lit up the sky across the entire country. 

Unfortunately, this year's Independence Day wasn't all fun and games. In the city of Calais in Maine, a young man died while attempting to launch a firework off his head.

The moment the firework went off and fatally injured 22-year-old Devon Staples was witnessed by his brother, Cody, and his friends, who now say the entire affair can only be described as a freak accident.

The young man was just looking to have some fun

This year, 22-year-old Devon Staples, his brother Cody Staples, and their friends decided to celebrate Independence Day by throwing a backyard party. A few drinks in, Devon thought that it might be fun to try and launch a firework from atop his head.

According to a spokesperson for Maine's Department of Public Safety in Calais, the 22-year-old simply placed a fireworks mortar tube on his head and lit it. One of the fireworks ignited and the young man was killed on the spot.

His brother Cody, however, insists that Devon never actually meant to go ahead with the stunt and that the firework that killed him ignited when the 22-year-old waved a lighter a tad too close to it without even realizing what he was doing.

“It was a freak accident. But Devon was not the kind of person who would do something stupid. He was the kind of person who would pretend to do something stupid to make people laugh,” Cody Staples said in an interview, as cited by NY Daily News.

Since Devon died the moment the firework went off, his brother and friends saw no need to call an ambulance or rush him to the nearest hospital themselves. “There was no rushing him to the hospital. There was no Devon left," his brother said.

22-year-old Devon Staples lived in Orlando, Florida, where he worked as an actor at Disney World. To make some extra money, he would also walk dogs whenever he had some time to spare.

Fireworks can cause serious injuries, officials warn

Officials with the country's Consumer Products Safety Commission want people to keep in mind that, although perfectly legal in some states, fireworks are nonetheless dangerous and can cause serious injuries, especially burns.

Only last year, as many as 11 fireworks-related deaths were reported in the US in states that allow the use of fireworks on private property. Further, hospitals and clinics recorded over 10,500 cases of people who needed medical help after having been injured in a fireworks-related incident.

The man lived in Florida, where he worked as an actor at Disney World
The man lived in Florida, where he worked as an actor at Disney World

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22-year-old Devon Staples died this past July 4 in Calais, Maine
The man lived in Florida, where he worked as an actor at Disney World
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