Brothers Injured In Fireworks Explosion

Channel 4, Detroit ^ | June 24, 2002

[Shermy]

Brothers Injured In Fireworks Explosion - Fireworks Reportedly Set Off In Homemade Device

Two brothers are hospitalized after a fireworks explosion at a Livingston County home this weekend, according to the Michigan State Police in Brighton.

Michael and Christopher Lapham -- reportedly both in their 20s -- were setting off fireworks in homemade PVC mortars supported by concrete chunks, and one of the bottoms blew out and caused the concrete to explode, police said. This happened around 5:15 a.m. Sunday at a home on Hughes Road.

Both men were transported to the University of Michigan Hospital. Michael Lapham is listed in good condition, and Christopher Lapham is listed in serious condition Monday morning.

The explosion also knocked holes in the garage wall, went through the windshield of a van, and left a 4-foot section of fence blown away, according to police.

[Shermy]

"Here, hold muh beer..."

[Pontiac]

were setting off fireworks in homemade PVC mortars supported by concrete chunks,

Here is an honorable mention for the Darwin Awards.

Obviously these guys never read gun magazines and the references to the kind of pressures that the barrels of firearms are subject to.

[Husker24]

Jeeze, what did they do, put a pound of blackpowder in their morter.

[Billthedrill]

I sure hope it wasn't his hands. Brain surgeons need their hands.

[TheBattman]

My God! Were they also making their own fireworks? I have seen very few commercially available (to consumers) fireworks with this sort of power. The closest I have seen would be some of the big arial blasts that imitate professional displays. I guess if one of these were wedged into a thin piece of PVC, it could blow up - but that would take a true idiot to acomplish..........

[Thebaddog]

Whadda wakeup call! Bet they got the standing ovation when they drove off.

[Shermy]

Check out these Darwin Nominees:

Truck Explodes In South Omaha

Man kept in jail after Kool-Aid bomb blows up his truck

[PsyOp]

PING! Anything sound familiar here.

[small voice in the wilderness]

Heard just before the blast: "Fergawdssake, gimme some more gunpowder. Hell, it don't take a rocket scientist to make a firecracker"

[mhking]

"May the Good Lord take a likin' to ya' and blow ya' up real soon!"

[Shermy]

PING! Anything sound familiar here.

And hese are just the warm-ups for July 4!

[PsyOp]

just the warm-ups

I'm still waiting for some yahoo to get hold of another Jato unit and try to use as bottle rocket or some other use like the infamous Impala driver of Darwin Award fame.

[2Trievers]

I hate to hear about stuff like this ... but 'tis the season.

Sleavester ... I'm throwing that tube OUT! LOL &;-)

A view from the castle ...

[Rebelbase]

""Here, hold muh beer...""

LOL! "Watch this!"

[swarthyguy]

Exploding concrete? Those are some big ones. Try explaining this one to the insurance company.

[mamelukesabre]

You don't need a gun barrel. Ever seen what those tubes look like that they launch those fancy arial firecrackers from at a professional fireworks show? They are pretty light.

[mamelukesabre]

Concrete explodes if heated. Have you ever seen what welding slag does to a concrete floor?

[Marine Inspector]

Ya, but I made better bombs, with better materials.

Sounds like amateurs to me.

[F.J. Mitchell]

5:15 A.M. Sunday morning ? Lucky for the brothers they were injured badly enough that the mob of disgruntled neighbors coming to attack felt sympathetic enough to call 911, instead of tarring and fearthering them.