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Wife Of Fireworks Accident Victim: 'I Was Looking For His Fingers'

 (CBS) – Anyone who has leftover fireworks from the Fourth of July might want to reconsider using them, after hearing the story of a Chicago man who lost some of his fingers Tuesday.

CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports.

In West Humboldt Park, Claudia Valdez was celebrating on the 4300 block of Cortez with family and her husband, 33-year-old Andres Perera. She says the father of two was lighting fireworks when something went wrong.

Claudia says she didn't have time to react: "To be honest with you, I was looking for his fingers."

"I wasn't really sure what happened to his hand to begin with. You couldn't really tell what it was. All you see is red and the skin, tissue," the wife adds. "To be honest with you, I didn't stare at it, either."

He was taken away in an ambulance, and Claudia says she was still trying to sort out his medical treatment on Wednesday. Later, she reported her husband was out of surgery and lost two fingers.

Asked about her advice to others, Claudia says people should be careful and kids should not attempt to light fireworks.

"Be careful. It's not a game, it's not a toy -- this is very serious," she says.

The horrific scene wasn't the only fireworks-related accident in Chicago.

A man in his 40's lost several fingers while lighting fireworks Tuesday afternoon in the parking lot of a Northwest Side supermarket.

In Gage Park, a 42-year-old man was fatally injured. Police said he was setting off fireworks around 9:30 p.m. in an alley when one of them blew up in his face.

The man was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Chicago Fire Department says additional injuries were reported across the city due to fireworks accidents.

 

 

 

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