Indiana boy, man killed in separate weekend fireworks blasts

MOUNT VERNON, Ind. (AP) - An 11-year-old boy and a man died over the Fourth of July holiday weekend after being injured by fireworks in separate Indiana incidents, authorities said.

The boy, Camrynn Ray McMichael of Mount Vernon, died Sunday night from a head injury he suffered in an accidental explosion of 'œfireworks mortar'ť in the far southwestern Indiana city, Posey County Coroner Bill Denning said Tuesday.

Sgt. Todd Ringle with Indiana State Police said the boy died while en route to an Evansville hospital after dispatchers was called about a serious injury in Mount Vernon, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Evansville.

The boy's mother, Kyrra McMichael, told the Evansville Courier & Press her son was an honor roll student who loved playing sports and making people laugh.

'œNo matter the situation he tried to be happy,'ť she wrote in a social media message.

In Fort Wayne, Noe Diaz, 43, died from injuries he suffered Sunday night when fireworks exploded near his face as he was setting off fireworks at home in the city about 120 miles (193 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.

Michael Burris, the Allen County Coroner's office's chief investigator, said Tuesday that the cause and manner of Diaz's death were still pending, but Diaz suffered burns and was rushed to a hospital, where he died, The Journal Gazette reported.