Woman Injured When She Lights Firework, Believing It's A Candle

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Three people were injured when a firework was accidentally set off during a gathering Saturday night near north suburban Antioch.

A man brought fireworks to a home in the 21800 block of West North Avenue in unincorporated Antioch Township just after 7 p.m., according to the Lake County sheriff's office.

A 30 year-old Woodstock woman picked up the rocket, which police described as "red, white, and blue, and approximately the size of a quarter-stick of dynamite."  Thinking it was a candle, she lit it and it exploded, leaving her with a serious hand injury.

The woman was taken to a hospital, while a child and another adult, who suffered "minor injuries from the blast" were treated by paramedics at the scene, police said.

Justin R. Kennedy, 28, of the 1200 block of Blakely Street in Woodstock, was charged with one felony count of reckless conduct and a misdemeanor count of endangering the life/health of a child, police said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was notified of the incident, police said.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2017. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)