Woman blows off fingers after mistaking stick of dynamite for candle

[fast]

According to the link:

Although it is illegal to possess dynamite, fireworks or firecrackers in Connecticut, charges are not expected to be file since the family had no prior knowledge that they were in the possession of explosive devices.

I don't want to appear as it might as I say what I do, but there is something about the internal workings of the law that puzzles me. Is this a case of prosecutorial discretion?

No mens rea.

Yeah, that's what Loren pointed out. I screwed that one up, big time.

 

[DCHindley]

This seems like a variant of a story I read a few years ago, in which a teen girl called 911 to report she blew off her hand from a firecracker she thought was a candle. There was even a tape of the 911 call where the operator misunderstood the seriousness of the matter until the teen, a little frustrated to be spoken to condescendingly, says "it blew my hand off!"

I am never sure what news reports mean when they describe things like "candle." A Roman Candle, I think, can take a few fingers off, but I also agree that a real stick of dynamite shouldn't explode without a detonator. If it was really old, made of nitroglycerin and sawdust, it might seem like a crude candle, but could that be detonated by a fuse? I dunno.

DCH

 

[bilby]

This seems like a variant of a story I read a few years ago, in which a teen girl called 911 to report she blew off her hand from a firecracker she thought was a candle. There was even a tape of the 911 call where the operator misunderstood the seriousness of the matter until the teen, a little frustrated to be spoken to condescendingly, says "it blew my hand off!"

I am never sure what news reports mean when they describe things like "candle." A Roman Candle, I think, can take a few fingers off, but I also agree that a real stick of dynamite shouldn't explode without a detonator. If it was really old, made of nitroglycerin and sawdust, it might seem like a crude candle, but could that be detonated by a fuse? I dunno.

DCH

Actually, using sawdust as an absorbent in dynamite is relatively recent. Originally dynamite used kieselgur (a soft, absorbent, rock also used for cat litter), which is rather expensive. Cheaper substrates were found to be just as stable, and sawdust and flour are commonly used today.

Dynamite is very stable, and if kept properly will not explode even if placed in a fire; However if it is stored at low enough temperatures for the nitroglycerin to freeze, or is left unattended for a number of years, it will 'sweat' beads of nitroglycerin, and that can render it highly unstable - certainly a naked flame could detonate dynamite that was in such a state, and in severe cases, a loud noise or gentile friction is sufficient to cause an explosion. Given the circumstances, it seems likely that the dynamite in question was very old, and almost certainly unstable due to sweating.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

This seems like a variant of a story I read a few years ago, in which a teen girl called 911 to report she blew off her hand from a firecracker she thought was a candle. There was even a tape of the 911 call where the operator misunderstood the seriousness of the matter until the teen, a little frustrated to be spoken to condescendingly, says "it blew my hand off!"

I am never sure what news reports mean when they describe things like "candle." A Roman Candle, I think, can take a few fingers off, but I also agree that a real stick of dynamite shouldn't explode without a detonator. If it was really old, made of nitroglycerin and sawdust, it might seem like a crude candle, but could that be detonated by a fuse? I dunno.

DCH

Dynamite doesn't even have anything you can light. The only way this makes any sense is if it was stored with fuses and caps already installed--a major safety violation that only makes sense if the person who did it figured they might need it right now. (Say, to throw at cops coming to arrest them.)

 

[bilby]

This seems like a variant of a story I read a few years ago, in which a teen girl called 911 to report she blew off her hand from a firecracker she thought was a candle. There was even a tape of the 911 call where the operator misunderstood the seriousness of the matter until the teen, a little frustrated to be spoken to condescendingly, says "it blew my hand off!"

I am never sure what news reports mean when they describe things like "candle." A Roman Candle, I think, can take a few fingers off, but I also agree that a real stick of dynamite shouldn't explode without a detonator. If it was really old, made of nitroglycerin and sawdust, it might seem like a crude candle, but could that be detonated by a fuse? I dunno.

DCH

Dynamite doesn't even have anything you can light. The only way this makes any sense is if it was stored with fuses and caps already installed--a major safety violation that only makes sense if the person who did it figured they might need it right now. (Say, to throw at cops coming to arrest them.)

Or if it was stored for a long time (and/or unprotected from frost), in which case a naked flame held close to it could be sufficient to detonate the stuff - despite the absence of a wick or fuse which would be hard to notice in the dark. Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

This seems like a variant of a story I read a few years ago, in which a teen girl called 911 to report she blew off her hand from a firecracker she thought was a candle. There was even a tape of the 911 call where the operator misunderstood the seriousness of the matter until the teen, a little frustrated to be spoken to condescendingly, says "it blew my hand off!"

I am never sure what news reports mean when they describe things like "candle." A Roman Candle, I think, can take a few fingers off, but I also agree that a real stick of dynamite shouldn't explode without a detonator. If it was really old, made of nitroglycerin and sawdust, it might seem like a crude candle, but could that be detonated by a fuse? I dunno.

DCH

Dynamite doesn't even have anything you can light. The only way this makes any sense is if it was stored with fuses and caps already installed--a major safety violation that only makes sense if the person who did it figured they might need it right now. (Say, to throw at cops coming to arrest them.)

Or if it was stored for a long time (and/or unprotected from frost), in which case a naked flame held close to it could be sufficient to detonate the stuff - despite the absence of a wick or fuse which would be hard to notice in the dark. Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

But who would try to light a "candle" that lacked anything like wick?

 

[bilby]

Or if it was stored for a long time (and/or unprotected from frost), in which case a naked flame held close to it could be sufficient to detonate the stuff - despite the absence of a wick or fuse which would be hard to notice in the dark. Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

But who would try to light a "candle" that lacked anything like wick?

Who said she was trying to light it? If it was dark, she may just have struck a flame to examine which end of the 'candle' had a wick to light.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Or if it was stored for a long time (and/or unprotected from frost), in which case a naked flame held close to it could be sufficient to detonate the stuff - despite the absence of a wick or fuse which would be hard to notice in the dark. Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

But who would try to light a "candle" that lacked anything like wick?

Who said she was trying to light it? If it was dark, she may just have struck a flame to examine which end of the 'candle' had a wick to light.

They thought it was a box of candles. Would you think that faced with a box of cylinders with no wicks?

 

[bilby]

Who said she was trying to light it? If it was dark, she may just have struck a flame to examine which end of the 'candle' had a wick to light.

They thought it was a box of candles. Would you think that faced with a box of cylinders with no wicks?

In the dark? Quite possibly.

People's perceptions are largely guided by their expectations. We are much less observant than we imagine ourselves to be (as any motorcyclist can attest - drivers who are looking for cars can look straight at a motorcycle and completely fail to register its existence).

If you expect to find candles, any roughly candle shaped object will likely be interpreted as a candle.

 

[RavenSky]

Real Estate agents are not much better than Coyotes.

excuse me?

Underlying predatory instinct, make a sale, collect a hefty commission, profit driven, etc, etc. Not to say that there aren't decent people working in the industry. It's the nature of the business, like used car sales and Politics.

Partly a tongue in cheek comment. A comment on the underlying nature of business.

oh really...

And exactly how is the real estate agent to blame here? Do tell.

 

[RavenSky]

Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

And it sounds like this dynamite was likely both

 

[bilby]

Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

And it sounds like this dynamite was likely both

Yup.

Abandoning dynamite, instead of disposing of it safely, is IMO tantamount to manslaughter.

 

[skepticalbip]

Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

Even old, cold dynamite is safe until it explodes.

 

[ideologyhunter]

I smell a miracle here. Did she, for example, earlier in the day write a SeedFaith (TM) donation check to Pat Robertson? Doesn't the Good News tell us that the apostles were able to handle all manner of poisonous sarpints and bundles of dynamite (sold under the trade name Sapphira's Brimstone by vendors in the temple in Jerusalem) without suffering harm? We truly serve a miraculous and loving god. Get some dynamite today and live in the Light. Better yet, hold a puff adder in one hand and a lit stick of dynamite in the other.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Who said she was trying to light it? If it was dark, she may just have struck a flame to examine which end of the 'candle' had a wick to light.

They thought it was a box of candles. Would you think that faced with a box of cylinders with no wicks?

In the dark? Quite possibly.

People's perceptions are largely guided by their expectations. We are much less observant than we imagine ourselves to be (as any motorcyclist can attest - drivers who are looking for cars can look straight at a motorcycle and completely fail to register its existence).

If you expect to find candles, any roughly candle shaped object will likely be interpreted as a candle.

I get the impression they had already seen the box before the lights went off.

And I would certainly be looking for the wick to know which end to light.

- - - Updated - - -

Dynamite is very safe - until it gets old or cold.

And it sounds like this dynamite was likely both

Yup.

Abandoning dynamite, instead of disposing of it safely, is IMO tantamount to manslaughter.

Although it's possible the person who put the dynamite there died and that's why it got abandoned--nobody knew of the problem.