A teenager was killed when a malicious firework struck him in the head less than an hour after ringing in the New Year in San Francisco, California.
The unidentified man, 18, was reportedly visiting friends in the Treasure Island area over the holidays when the incident occurred.
San Francisco police officers arrived on the scene around 12:40 p.m. and found the teen with life-threatening injuries.
The victim received first aid, but succumbed to his injuries just as the ambulance arrived.
His distraught mother could be heard screaming at the scene, “Where is my baby? Where's my baby? Where is he?'
An unidentified 18-year-old man died on New Year's Day around 12.40pm after fireworks hit him in the head.
The victim received first aid, but succumbed to his injuries just as the ambulance arrived. Grieving neighbors left candles on the street in his honor
A neighbor told me ABC-7 they saw a group of teenagers shooting off fireworks moments before one of the explosives hit the teenage victim in the head.
Remnants of the fireworks were visible in a nearby garbage bin outside the house and on the ground.
“The neighbors were all outside, they said, 'Don't go and look, don't look at the body, it's not good to go and look,'” May Sue Moua told NBC Bay Area.
The victim's body was soon covered with a yellow tarpaulin after he was pronounced dead and community members left candles on the street in his honor.
Bay Area resident Brad Burke told ABC 7, “That's pretty sad. I didn't know that and that upsets me.”
'People should be safe. I'm not sure what happened, but it's upsetting going into the new year to hear that.”
The San Francisco Fire Department subsequently urged residents to take serious precautions and remember that fireworks are illegal in the city.
'They are extremely dangerous. Again, it doesn't matter if they are safe and sane fireworks, or so-called safe and sane fireworks, or professional grade fireworks used by a non-professional, any of these can cause a fire,” Public Information Officer Lt. Johnathan Baxter. ABC-7.
After the fatal incident, used fireworks containers lie on the grass
On Friday, the fire department even posted a New Year's Eve fireworks safety message on their Facebook page, reminding residents that pyrotechnics are illegal in the city.
The teen was reportedly visiting friends in the Treasure Island neighborhood over the holidays when the incident occurred
“That fire could cause injuries, cause death, collapse your house. If you have a few flying in the air, they can cause airborne injuries.”
On Friday, the fire brigade posted a fireworks safety message for New Year's Eve on its Facebook page.
“San Francisco residents and visitors are asked to do their part to prevent fires caused by illegal fireworks,” the document said.
It was also said that an 'approved' fireworks display for the public would be held in the city.
In the Bay Area, fireworks include any fireworks that “explode, become airborne, or move uncontrollably along the ground.” Anyone who owns these faces will be fined or go to jail.
Rockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles, air grenades and firecrackers also fall under the description of fireworks in the city.
The teen's identity and how exactly he died have not yet been released.
DailyMail.com has contacted the San Francisco Fire Department and Police Department for comment.
At least five people were injured in New York after a 44-year-old driver, pursued by police, plowed into New Year's Eve revelers around 1:40 a.m. on New Year's Day.
More remnants of fireworks were visible in a nearby garbage bin outside the house and on the ground
One car reportedly crashed onto the sidewalk, resulting in an accident
The car crash happened near Madison Square Garden in New York, just as the crowd was leaving Times Square after watching the ball drop.
The vehicle drove onto the sidewalk and struck citizens and officers before coming to a stop, reports suggest.
The driver, a 44-year-old man, was taken into custody at Bellevue Hospital. It is reported that police chased the car before the accident.
Photos from the scene appear to show three cars involved in the wreck, two black cars and a yellow taxi. While a video showed a man being carried away and appearing to be conscious.
The New York Post reported that a woman was pinned against a food truck and that the driver of that truck was also among those injured.
