Man lights firework on his head and it explodes into his skull, Texas cops say

A 43-year-old man lit a firework on top of his head, resulting in his near-sudden death in San Antonio, police say.

Officers in San Antonio were called to a residential area just after midnight on Tuesday, July 5, following the firework mishap, according to a police report.

First responders found the victim was suffering from severe head trauma, with brain matter exposed from his skull, police said.

The victim, identified by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office as 43-year-old Pablo Ruiz, died shortly after officers arrived, according to the police report.

Ruiz’ friend, who witnessed the fatal incident, said Ruiz had been drinking when he chose to light the mortar-style firework from the top of his head. Investigators believe it somehow exploded from the bottom of the tube and pierced the top of his skull.

This story was originally published July 6, 2022 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Man lights firework on his head and it explodes into his skull, Texas cops say."