4-Year-Old Suffers Injury from Fireworks

A 4-year-old was struck by ricochet from explosive Monday, causing serious injury to her left hand and requiring medical attention, police said.

The incident occurred while the child was walking with her adult aunt along Eight Street at about 7 p.m., according to Lt. Ben Horner of the Union City Police Department.

As the group passed a group of juveniles lighting fireworks, one of the boys threw an illegal firecracker into the street, which picked up a large rock during the explosion that struck the girl in her left hand, Horner said.

The child was transported to a local hospital for treatment and officers are following up on the case to identify the juveniles.

The juveniles were likely playing with M-80 or M-100 explosives, Horner said.

“If it goes off in your hand, it can take all your fingers,” Horner said. “If something ricochets, it can cause serious damage. It’s kind of a freak accident, but not unheard of.”

The child’s injury was the only serious fireworks-related injury Monday, Horner said.

The incident was one of 252 total calls for police service received during the Fourth of July holiday, according to Horner. Of those, 63 were reports of illegal fireworks. Most were aerial fireworks, which could be seen throughout the city, Horner said.

The number of incidents is down from last year’s holiday, during which UCPD received 279 calls, and a huge drop from 2007’s Independence Day, when officers responded to about 400 calls.

Authorities often find it difficult to apprehend suspects for illegal fireworks as they are often discharged in streets and would require officers to catch suspects in the act, Horner said.

Still, UCPD officers issued 12 citations throughout the city for illegal fireworks, Horner said.

In addition, there were two small grass fires caused by illegal fireworks, one near Jean Drive and Dinuba Street, and the other in the Seven Hills area, east of Mission Boulevard where fireworks were not permitted.