Man, 23, in critical condition after mortar firework goes off in hand

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A New Jersey man is in critical condition after police say a firework went off prematurely in his hand on Sunday.

Little Egg Harbor Township police responded to reports of a fireworks accident on Great Bay Boulevard just before 1 a.m.

Officers arrived to find the 23-year-old male victim with serious injuries to his head and hands.

Witnesses at the scene told investigators the victim was lighting a mortar firework when it went off prematurely in his hands. The victim was airlifted to Cooper Trauma Center in Camden for treatment and was listed in critical condition.

Little Egg Harbor Township police say the 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."

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