It was a normal workday for James Lauria on July 29th, until he went out for his first smoke break. Lauria is a vape user, so he took his trusty e-cig outside and took a few puffs.
Then, the vape exploded.
The next thing he new, Lauria was in an ambulance, and the next thing he knew after that, he was in the hospital, after being airlifted to the University of Alabama’s burn unit. His injuries were severe.
Lauria had first-degree burns on his hand, chest and face. He had burns on his cornea. The explosion caused a tooth to jam up into his gum and chipped another tooth. The explosion also blew a hole through the palate in the roof of his mouth. His neck and finger were also broken.
Six weeks after the accident, Lauria remained on a liquid diet and moved back home to live with his parents. Doctors plan to affix a prosthetic to the roof of his mouth in the hopes that the wound will heal.
The exploded vape is currently in the possession of the South Walton Fire and Rescue Department, the first responders on the scene. They are trying to figure out what made it explode.
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