• This story contains graphic descriptions and photos of traumatic injuries that may be disturbing to some readers.
WEST JORDAN, Utah, July 23, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — A Fourth of July celebration took a tragic turn for a West Jordan man — and his family — when an improvised firework he was attempting to light exploded in his hand.
“I knew the second it happened I really screwed up,” Richard said, with a sad, uneasy laugh. “I looked down and couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. My left hand was pretty much gone, fingers missing, most of my thumb… but it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as my chest and stomach. For a minute I thought I had killed myself. I actually thought I was going to die.”…