A Little Egg Harbor Township man is in critical condition after a firework went off in his hands, police said Monday.
Police were called to Great Bay Boulevard just before 1 a.m. Sunday.
The 23-year-old man was found on the fifth bridge, semi-conscious and bleeding from his head, according to the report.
Witnesses said the unnamed man was lighting mortar firework when it went off prematurely, causing serious injuries to his head and hands.
A mortar firework is a shell firework that is placed into a tube and fired as a single shot.
The man was airlifted to the Trauma Center at Cooper University Health in Camden.
"This tragic incident provides a potent reminder to our community that illegal fireworks can be dangerous and unpredictable and should only be used by licensed, trained professionals," police said
