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A medical examiner says a North Texas man was killed when an e-cigarette exploded in his face.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said William Brown, 24, of Fort Worth died Jan. 29, two days after a vaporizer pen he was using at an e-cigarette shop in nearby Keller exploded. The medical examiner says shrapnel from the explosion severed his left carotid artery and peppered his skull.
Tracey Brown, William Brown's aunt, said Brown stopped at Smoke & Vape DZ in Keller to make a purchase.
"I don't know how much he did that at all, but I know he went there, I was told, to get a battery,” Brown said. “He was coming to my house."
After the explosion, an ambulance rushed brown to John Peter Smith Hospital for treatment. But Brown ultimately died.
On Tuesday, friends and family visited a Fort Worth funeral home for a viewing and to pay their respects.
Brown's aunt says the family is not clear on exactly what caused the explosion. She says she can't be certain if he purchased the vaping device at the smoke shop or just a battery for a modified version he already had.
"I know nothing about those types of things. I don't know if he got the whole thing or just a battery,” Brown said.
She describes her nephew as an affectionate and kind young man who worked with his dad on construction jobs.
"He just enjoyed life. He may have done that before. I don't think it was his first time though,” Brown said.
A similar incident also killed a Florida man last May. Officials said 38-year-old Tallmadge D'Elia of St. Petersburg died when his exploding vape pen sent two fragments into his skull. He also suffered burns on about 80 percent of his body. The death was ruled an accident.