A 16-year-old girl has been seriously injured after a car shock absorber thrown onto a bonfire exploded at a Halloween party in the Arizona desert, leaving her with multiple facial fractures, a broken jaw and serious burns.
Jaidynn Penberthy was standing about 10 feet from the fire when the blast knocked her unconscious during the gathering near New River Road and Saddle Mountain Road, her brother Ethan Glass told KPHO, an Arizonan news outlet.
The explosion happened at approximately 10.30pm local time on October 30 and left multiple people at the party injured by debris, Phoenix police said.
Incident details
Police said a large group of young adults had gathered around the bonfire when someone allegedly tossed an object into the flames. Around three to five minutes later, the object detonated, sending debris flying into the crowd and injuring several people.
In the moments after the explosion, people at the scene rushed to help. Mr Glass told KPHO that strangers attempted to help his sister while her friends drove her to get medical attention and called the emergency services.
One girl performed a sternum rub to check Jaidynn's pulse, and Mr Glass said his sister may have gone without a pulse for about a minute.
Injuries and treatment
Jaidynn was airlifted to a burn centre, where she received treatment for a broken jaw, multiple facial fractures, missing teeth and burns, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser established by her family to help with her recovery.
The debris struck her across the face, leaving injuries that required facial reconstructive surgery, Mr Glass told KPHO. She is expected to undergo several additional operations and dental procedures as she continues treatment, according to the fundraiser.
Mr Glass told KPHO that his sister has been struggling with pain and difficulty breathing following the explosion. "She's been crying a lot just from being in so much pain and just like, it's hard to breathe," he said.
Recovery and investigation
Jaidynn is now awake, cannot speak and communicates with her family through writing, according to Mr Glass. He said she is doing better and is grateful to be alive, although she remains confused about what happened.
Her family's GoFundMe will help with expenses during what they described as a lengthy recovery, the campaign states. The GoFundMe page added that the funds raised will go toward medical needs that may arise, including further surgeries, dental work and ongoing treatment.
Mr Glass said he hopes authorities find the person responsible for the explosion, telling KPHO that he has struggled to understand why someone would throw the object into the fire.
Phoenix police said in a statement on Wednesday, November 4, that they are still seeking information about the explosion and are asking anyone who attended the gathering or may have photos, videos or social media content related to the incident to come forward.
Investigators told PEOPLE they believe the person who threw the object into the fire left before authorities arrived. Police described the individual as a white male between 16 and 25 years old.
