A man's death has been ruled an accident after he lit a firework off of his Uncle Sam top hat on the Fourth of July, a South Carolina coroner told USA TODAY Monday.
Allen Ray McGrew, 41, died Thursday afternoon while celebrating the holiday outside his home in Summerville, a town about 25 miles northwest of Charleston, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office reported last week.
Dorchester County Coroner Paul Brouthers said McGrew died due to "massive head trauma with cerebral avulsion" and ruled his death an accident.
An autopsy "was not necessary" on the victim, however Brothers said toxicology results are pending in the case. Results form those test are expected to be returned within 12 weeks, the coroner said Monday.
McGrew's death was among dozens of reported fireworks-related injuries and fatalities reported across the nation during this year's Fourth of July festivities.
Extreme heat death:Motorcyclist dies in Death Valley from extreme heat, 5 others treated
According to sheriff's office incident report obtained by USA TODAY on the day of the accident, deputies responded to the scene just before 10:30 p.m. for a report of a suspicious death.
In the report, deputies said Paige McGrew told them couple was hosting a block party and her husband "started drinking around 6 p.m."
The victim's wife reported she watched her husband place a firework on his head, "which she believes was done to show off," a deputy wrote in the report.
The victim's wife said "she was trying to tell Allen not to do that when the firework went off and she observed Allen collapse."
Paramedics responded and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
USA TODAY has reached out to the victim's family.
Child fatally shot in Maryland:6-year-old boy dies after shooting at July Fourth gathering, suspect at large
Allen's wife said he wore an Uncle Sam star-spangled suit and a matching top hat before the blast took place, adding he "ultimately died doing what he loved," the local Post and Courier reported.
A video of Allen shared by the outlet shows him dressed in the costume with the colorful hat on his head, smoking a cigarette in a yard outside a home.
"I thought he was just showboating before he set it on the ground. I didn’t realize he had already lit it," she told the outlet. “Allen loved this holiday... He was a patriot; he was proud of his son and he was excited to have a new daughter-in-law. He was living his best life last night."
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, last year 9,700 people were treated in emergency rooms across the nation and eight people died from fireworks-related accidents.
This year's stats were not immediately available.
To safely use fireworks, the National Safety Council recommends watching them at public displays conducted by professionals and not using them at home.
If you set off fireworks at home, the council recommends tips including the following:
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
2024-12-24 08:432784 view
2024-12-24 08:131418 view
2024-12-24 07:32672 view
2024-12-24 07:091024 view
2024-12-24 06:50454 view
2024-12-24 06:23150 view
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson continue to keep the public on their toes. While her sister Ashlee
The following is a transcript of an interview with former Vice President Mike Pence that aired on "F
It looks like it's the end of the Taylor Swift and Matty Healy era. Amid reports of the Midnights si