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DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — A Fourth of July celebration turned tragic when a Summerville man suffered severe head injuries and died after lighting a firework and placing it on his head. The incident occurred on Cottonwood Drive in Summerville, according to South Carolina investigators.

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Emergency crews were dispatched to the scene around 10:20 p.m. on Thursday. Upon arrival, they discovered the aftermath of a devastating accident.

Paige McGrew told deputies that her husband had placed the large firework on his head to “show off” after drinking for several hours, according to an incident report. 

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“He was holding this firework over his top hat,” Paige later told The Post and Courier. “I thought he was just showboating before he set it on the ground. I didn’t realize he had already lit it.”

His wife was telling McGrew to stop when the firework suddenly erupted and he collapsed, the report stated.

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Coroner Paul Brouthers said the exploding device caused massive head injuries that would have killed McGrew immediately. He was officially pronounced dead at the scene at 11:10 p.m. 

The Dorchester County Coroner’s Office reported that Allen Ray McGrew, 41, lit a “large firework device” and placed it on his head while standing in the street. The firework subsequently exploded, inflicting massive head injuries. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, McGrew was pronounced dead at 11:10 p.m.

Both the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and the Dorchester County Coroner’s Office are conducting investigations into the incident.

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