Man Killed In Chicago Fireworks Accident

CHICAGO — A 53-year-old man died Monday in what police believe may have been a fireworks accident. At 3:55 p.m., officers responded to a report of an explosion in the 3900 block of West 85th Street to find the man unresponsive with a head injury.

The victim, a 53-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

Based on data provided by hospitals across Illinois, the state fire marshal's office reported 148 fireworks-related injuries throughout the state during the four-week period including the 4th of July 2017, the most recent year for which data was available. There were 181 reported fireworks-related injuries in 2016.

Also in 2017, a 42-year-old man was killed on the Southwest Side when fireworks he was checking exploded in his face. Police said the man was putting on a fireworks display for kids when he lit a tube designed to fire pyrotechnics up to 50 feet in the air. But the fireworks didn't go off as expected, and as the man bent over to inspect the tube, they ignited and struck him in the face.

Check back for updates on this developing story.