20 Craziest 4th of July Accidents Ever

20 Craziest 4th of July Accidents Ever

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at reported cases of Fourth of July celebrations or preparations that went horribly wrong.

The Beginning of a Stay Safe Campaign

When handling fireworks, a person’s life can change in a literal flash. In 2017, Aaden Valdez was at a neighborhood block party for the 4th. One second, the Colorado teenager had a firework in his right hand. The next, there was a bright spark and Valdez’s ears were ringing. Finding his bearings, Valdez realized his ears weren’t the worst of his worries. Valdez lost four fingers on his left hand, as well as his left eye. He required four surgeries, but Valdez hasn’t allowed this loss to hold him back. Valdez continued to pursue his passion for wrestling, competing in national tournaments. He became an advocate for firework safety, giving away 1,500 safety glasses. Valdez also created a coloring book full of safety tips.

National Mall Fireworks Frenzy

It doesn’t get more patriotic than fireworks in Washington, D.C., but the National Mall became a warzone in 1987. Kathy Eldreth was about 60 yards from the fenced-off safety zone when a flame landed on her blanket. Putting it out, Eldreth was struck in the back by a fireball the size of a softball. Eldreth was helicoptered to the hospital where she was treated for third-degree burns. She was one of four in the area who were hospitalized for similar injuries while 25 more were taken to the Red Cross. Moisture in the air likely contributed to these unforeseen accidents. Over a decade later, there were still reports of children “chasing the charred bits of firework paper that fell in a rain of ash.”

A Spark Goes Out Too Soon

Before even turning 21, Austin McCloud was married with a son and stepson. Only a few months after tying the knot with his new wife, McCloud was gearing up for their Independence Day festivities in the backyard. Tragically, this was the last holiday the young husband and father would celebrate with his family. McCloud planned a fireworks display for their cookout when the explosives unexpectedly went off, striking him in the head and neck. The multi-shelled launcher is believed to have malfunctioned. When McCloud went to check it, his fate was sealed. An ambulance arrived on the scene, but by the time McCloud arrived at the hospital, he was gone.

“The Brightest Little Light”

From a young age, Marcie Hill was known for spreading cheer, becoming a proud member of the Patriot Cheer All Stars in Utah. As her GoFundMe campaign would state, “Macie passed away doing what she loved, being with her team.” Hill was reportedly on a float performing with her team during the Kaysville Fourth of July Parade. While trying to get candy from a trailer, she was pulled under the tires. Hill was taken to the hospital in critical condition, sadly never recovering. An investigation found no wrongdoing on behalf of the vehicle’s driver or parade organizers, but new safety measures were implemented going forward. Leaving behind her parents and three older brothers, Hill is remembered as “the brightest little light.”

Anarchy On Sixth Street Bridge

For some, it isn’t Fourth of July without illegal fireworks, but how far is too far? Wherever the line is, it was definitely crossed in 2023 when a group turned L.A.’s Sixth Street Bridge into the Wild West. People set off fireworks across the bridge with one civilian packing what looked like a homemade rocket launcher. The chaos didn’t end there. The mob was seen climbing the viaduct’s arches while cars drove on the wrong side of the road. While many were endangered, there were no reported injuries. On any other night, this might’ve attracted the full force of the local authorities. Being July 4th, though, fires were put out all over L.A., making it easier for the bridge blowout to escalate.

Instant Ignition

Not all fireworks are the same. Some are designed to be ignited manually, allowing a person enough time to reach a safe distance after lighting the fuse. This is not the kind that came into Brian Simpson’s possession. The 48-year-old Kentucky man got his hands on a commercial-grade firework that was meant to be set off electronically. Whether or not Simpson knew this, he made the ill-advised decision to detonate it with a homemade mortar tube, cutting the wick in half. Without a delay, the firework exploded right in front of Simpson, the injuries proving fatal. There’s a lot that Simpson could’ve done differently, but if there’s one takeaway from this cautionary tale, it’s to always check the instructions.

Truck Explosion

We’re all familiar with the phrase, “The show must go on.” This was easier said than done for Ocracoke Island in 2009. The community was getting ready for their annual Fourth of July fireworks display. Around 9:00 AM, though, the truck carrying the fireworks blew up, claiming the lives of four workers inside. A fifth person in the back of the truck managed to escape, albeit with burns on his face and hands. Needless to say, there wasn’t a fireworks show that night… or the following year… or the year after that. Seven years passed until fireworks returned to Ocracoke. With new laws helping to prevent another tragedy, the island decided to bring back this tradition in hopes of boosting tourism.

Salute Cannon

Technically, this incident occurred in the late hours of July 3, 2023, but those involved were clearly getting into the Fourth of July spirit. By midnight, the celebration had burst into a disaster. When authorities arrived at the Park Township neighborhood, houses and cars were damaged with fireworks present. Nine people were injured and a woman named Jana Daniels lost her life. Upon further inspection, the authorities realized that commercial fireworks weren’t responsible. An inebriated Anthony Jon Meyer had lit a “salute cannon” full of gunpowder. Although this homemade device was only supposed to make a loud boom, it ultimately exploded, sending metal pieces flying. While Daniels’ death was deemed an accident, Meyer was sentenced to a year in jail with probation and community service.

A Viral Boom

Many Fourth of July accidents make headlines, but only a handful are captured on camera. This Nebraska family wasn’t looking to go viral when they lit fireworks in their front yard. One firework didn’t go up as planned, sending sparks flying in all directions. Just as the situation seemed to defuse, all hell broke loose. That one firework ignited the other fireworks in a box behind the minivan, sending the family running from the blast. Although the SimpliSafe home security system recorded the whole thing, the family had no intention of sharing the footage. Somehow, the video wound up on Reddit, spreading like wildfire. Remaining anonymous, the family informed the press that nobody was injured. Perhaps even more astonishing, the minivan is still fully functional.

Shark Attack

We like to tell ourselves “Jaws” was only a movie, but shark attacks on the Fourth of July aren’t unheard of. Visiting Fire Island with a couple of friends, Lyudmila Emag took a dip in the shallow waters. Letting out a scream of pain, Emag felt as if she had been ensnared in a trap. It wasn’t long until Emag realized this “trap” was the jaws of a shark. Thankfully, it wasn’t a Great White. According to Emag’s friends, the beast was between 4 and 5 feet long. The circumstances were alarming nonetheless, but Emag kept her cool. Reaching into the shark’s mouth, she freed herself and returned to shore with minor injuries. Emag considers herself, “lucky,” especially considering what went down on Amity Island.

The Boat Blowout

Sharks might keep some people out of the water on the Fourth of July, but there’s another dangerous foe we constantly underestimate: fireworks. In 2013, eighteen boats were damaged by fire near the SkyLaunch Marina on Lake Union, resulting in $1.5 million worth of damage. The Seattle Fire Department determined that the blaze stemmed from illegal fireworks, which were shot off from a hill not too far away from the marina. The annual fireworks display at Lake Union is typically a lovely sight, but spectators got more than they bargained for that year; the only upside is that nobody was killed or seriously injured, with just one firefighter suffering a minor knee injury.

When Sparklers Attack

Sometimes it just takes a tiny little spark to make a big boom. A group of people in Ohio learned this the hard way one fateful Fourth of July. As roughly 20 individuals partied inside, several children played outside with sparklers. When a spark from one of the sparklers landed in a bag full of unused fireworks, a recipe for disaster was ignited. The fireworks went off, and a total of seven people were reportedly injured. One woman was left with serious burns covering half of her body, while the person hurt the worst was a little girl.

An Instant Tragedy

Whenever fireworks are set off in an unsafe manner, there is a huge risk for injury or an even worse occurrence.Tragically, a man named Devon Staples lost his life in a terrible pyrotechnic accident. He died while setting off fireworks with his friends on the Fourth of July, 2015. The actor had decided to place a reloadable fireworks mortar tube on top of his head. Shortly after igniting the firework, Staples died instantly in what his brother described as “a freak accident.” The terrible incident left his family and friends devastated on what was intended to be a joyful occasion.

Explosives in Central Park

Over the Fourth of July weekend in 2016, college student Connor Golden was climbing down a rock in Central Park. As misfortune would have it, the teenage tourist stepped on a homemade, shock-sensitive explosive that was inside a black plastic bag. The impact caused the explosive to detonate, blowing off Golden’s foot. The blast was so loud that it interrupted the nearby funeral service for Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor. Golden’s left leg was subsequently amputated, although he would walk again with the use of a prosthetic leg paid for partially via Kickstarter. The moral of the story: always watch your step and never leave explosives lying around.

Tragedy on the Water

The fireworks fiasco in Seattle might’ve ruined boats, but property damage is inconsequential compared to the loss of a human life. After a Miami firework show wrapped up, tragedy struck the Dinner Key Marina where three boats collided in a catastrophic crash. 22 individuals were involved in the crash, which ultimately claimed the lives of Andy Garcia, Kelsie Karpiak, Victoria Dempsey, and Jason Soleimani. In addition to those four fatalities, seven were left injured. Given the scorching July weather, it’s no wonder the sea calls out to many people on the Fourth of July. Accidents like this will motivate anybody to stay on dry land, though.

Simi Valley Fireworks Fail

When people are messing around with fireworks at home, there’s obviously gonna be some risk involved. When people attend a professional fireworks display open to the public, though, they expect things to go off without a hitch. This wasn’t the case in Simi Valley, California, where a 2013 firework show resulted in a major Fourth of July fail. A pyrotechnic shell went off in its mortar tube, causing a chain reaction that sent fireworks blasting towards an audience of thousands. The area suddenly turned into a combat zone, leaving dozens injured, although fortunately nobody was killed.

The Perilous Parade

Like firework shows, parades are an Independence Day tradition for numerous families. In 2013, however, the LibertyFest Fourth of July Parade ended tragically for one family.. =On a busy street in Edmond, Oklahoma, Quinton Hooper drove a float with several karate students onboard. Among the students was Hooper’s young son, Aidan, who fell off the flatbed trailer and was accidentally run over by the float. A nurse and police officer performed CPR on Aidan, but he was unfortunately pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital. Following this unspeakable nightmare, Quinton and his wife, Susannah, have strived to keep their son’s memory alive through the Aidan Hooper Legacy Fund.

Long Island Car Crash

While the water isn’t always the safest place to be on the Fourth of July, the roads aren’t much better. Speeding down a slippery street in Long Island, Gustave Geyer swerved his 1990 Chevy pickup truck into another lane. The truck crashed into a 2014 Nissan Altima with four adults and a baby boy inside. Thus ensued a fatal collision that not only claimed Geyer’s life, but also killed three of the Altima’s passengers. The baby, who had a few minor injuries, and his mother, who was left with life-threatening burns, were the only survivors. According to reports, Geyer had a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.

Jesse William Burley

This accident is so brutal and bizarre that it sounds like something out of a Coen Brothers movie, especially seeing how it took place in Fargo, North Dakota. According to eyewitnesses, 41-year-old Jesse William Burley walked into the middle of the street to set off a Fourth of July firework. He lit it up, a puff of smoke appeared, and then BOOM! Resident Chris Hanson immediately rushed to his neighbor’s aid only to find that Burley had been beheaded. Hanson later stated that the fireworks came with a warning that read, “If found please report to the U.S. government.”

If you have any Fourth of July safety tips, please share them in the comments.