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EMT severely burned by exploding e-cigarette

Ricardo Jimenez, 24, said he immediately parked his car and took off his pants when they began to smoke

By EMS1 Staff

NEW YORK — An EMT suffered severe burns last Friday after his e-cigarette exploded in his pants.

Ricardo Jimenez, 24, sustained second-degree burns to his thigh and right hand while driving to get a haircut, the New York Daily News reported.

“I went to reach down to take the batteries out of my pocket and they just blew up,” Jimenez said. “There was smoke everywhere, like a fog in my car.”

Jimenez was transported to the hospital by ambulance, where he was treated for his burns.

“[The batteries] were making little noises. Soon as that happened, I put my car in park, jumped out of the car and a police officer saw me taking off my pants.”

Doctors considered whether Jimenez needed skin grafts. The scars spanned 18 x 24 inches on his thigh. “I can’t walk around too much. I can’t drive, it hurts.”

Jimenez said he bought the batteries for $15 at a store that ensured him they were the “best.”

Jimenez will decide whether or not to sue after the investigation and test result are complete. His lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, asked FDNY to “preserve, inspect and produce the batteries and the clothing they took.”

Regardless, Jimenez said he is “looking to get better and back to work.”

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