TOLEDO, Ohio — A man was killed in a fireworks accident Tuesday morning in north Toledo.
The incident happened on Lagrange Street near Pearl around 12:30 a.m.
Police say 61-year-old Floyd Temple was lighting large fireworks in his front yard when he lit one facing the wrong way.
Police say the mortar firework hit him in his chest and he died instantly.
"He tried to fire off a rocket that goes up into the sky and it backfired and took his chest off," said Benjamin Avalos, a friend of Temple.
Neighbors and witnesses say Temple was setting off fireworks all day for neighborhood kids, and the accident happened in front of small children.
"It went off and his chest exploded, and [the kids] ran over to my house and told me about it. That's when police showed up," said neighbor Rick Tuggle. "They were sitting over there. They're probably traumatized right now, I got to go check on them to see where their head at right now because they're probably traumatized. They were sitting right there on the stairs when it happened. One of my kids was sitting right there on those stairs."
One man said he tried to save Temple immediately following the accident, until rescue crews could arrive on scene.
Tuggle says he can't believe this happened in his neighborhood.
"I never thought this would even happen over here. Kids ran, bro!" Tuggle said.
Neighborhoods say Temple was a well-known and loved man who got along with everyone in the neighborhood and loved to set off fireworks for everyone to hear.
"We've been [shooting off fireworks] all day for the kids, give the kids a display. All day long, all day long," Avalos said. "He's a really nice guy, nice guy. He's my brother bro, I really love him with all my heart."